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Right-wing media figures and influencers have descended on Springfield, Ohio, hunting for anything that can help them prove the veracity of a viral racist rumor about Haitian migrants in the community \u2014 and relying on misleading, occasionally AI-generated content to help them prove their point. Springfield, which has seen its Haitian population grow by an estimated 15,000 people, has become a sort of shorthand for conservatives\u2019 fears about immigration and demographic change.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
One of the most recent examples comes from Tyler Oliveira, a YouTuber and MrBeast associate, who posted a misleading video about Springfield on Wednesday. Oliveira\u2019s video intersperses interviews with locals \u2014 including some Haitians \u2014 with AI-generated images and memes. Just five seconds in, the video shows a clearly AI-generated clip of a Black man driving a white van surrounded by cats. The video also features clips totally unrelated to Springfield, including footage of a woman being arrested for eating a cat in Canton, Ohio, and a clip of gang members marching on a street in Haiti. It\u2019s a textbook example of disinformation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Republicans have largely embraced the anti-Haitian smear \u2014 and encouraged others to spread it \u2014 in the days since it first gained traction online. Former President Donald Trump mentioned it during this week\u2019s presidential debate<\/a> in response to a question about border policy. Vice presidential candidate JD Vance encouraged supporters to \u201cmeme on\u201d even if the rumor turned out to be false. And conservative provocateur Christopher Rufo offered a \u201c$5,000 bounty\u201d<\/a> to anyone who could produce \u201chard, verifiable evidence that Haitian migrants are eating cats\u201d in Springfield.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The rumor has had tangible effects on Springfield, particularly its growing Haitian community. The Haitian Times<\/em> reports<\/a> that some families chose to keep their children home from school, fearing violent attacks. One Haitian woman, who says she\u2019s lived in Springfield for six years, told the Times<\/em> that her car was recently vandalized. And the Springfield News-Sun<\/em> reports<\/a> that multiple government buildings in the city were closed Thursday after a bomb threat to \u201cmultiple facilities throughout Springfield.\u201d Springfield\u2019s city hall was evacuated, as was a local elementary school.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n False claims about people eating cats aren\u2019t the only disinformation coming out of Springfield. Oliveira\u2019s video suggests that the migrants in Springfield are taking public benefits that would otherwise go to Americans, while politicians, including Vance, have claimed Haitians recently crossed the border. But the Dayton Daily News<\/em> reports<\/a> that most of the Haitians in Springfield are in the US under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), an immigration designation that lets nationals from certain countries live and work in the US but does not provide a pathway to citizenship. TPS is only available for people already <\/em>in the United States; people can\u2019t apply for it after crossing the border. Haiti was first designated for TPS in 2010, and President Joe Biden reissued its TPS status in 2021, meaning no one who arrived after then is eligible for it. And people with TPS aren\u2019t eligible<\/a> for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or most other forms of public assistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n