Fear and frustration in Springfield, Ohio, as political debate seizes on growing Haitian population
Rose Goute Creole restaurant does a bustling business in Springfield, Ohio, with clientele drawn to its pots of perfumed rice, fried pork and fish, and golden plantains.
Rosena Jean Louis runs the front, offering free coffee and patiently managing a jostling lunch crowd. She and her coworkers are proud of the food they serve, feeding a Haitian expatriate community that has grown quickly in Springfield over the past few years.
When asked about a lie that has taken hold in some corners of the internet that their countrymen are stealing and eating people’s pets, she rolls her eyes in exasperation.
When CNN visited on Wednesday, the restaurant’s manager, Romane Pierre, recalled his incredulity at the claim that has been promoted by prominent national-level Republicans, including Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Local officials have repeatedly tried to stop the rumor. Springfield officials have told press and city commission meetings that there are no credible reports of animal abuse “by individuals within the immigrant community.”
The state’s highest Republican official, Gov. Mike DeWine, also dismissed the rumor, noting there was “no evidence of that at all.”
And Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said Thursday the false claims are “hurting our citizens and hurting our community,” adding it’s “frustrating” that some of the rhetoric is coming from Vance, a Republican from Ohio.
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