The city of Springfield, Ohio, has enacted emergency powers to safeguard its community after receiving dozens of threats over alleged incidents of Haitian immigrants eating cats and wild animals in the city, gaining national attention.
Announced Sept. 19, Mayor Rob Rue issued a proclamation under the city’s charter allowing local law enforcement to immediately react to civil unrest, cyber threats, and potential acts of violence. It also allows the city to “swiftly acquire resources needed to address potential threats,” without the need for standard purchasing or contractual agreements.
“Ensuring the safety of Springfield’s residents is our top priority,” the mayor said in a statement. “We are addressing these threats with the seriousness they warrant and are taking immediate steps to ensure the security of both our community and our employees. Our commitment to preventing harm is unwavering.”
According to city officials, the national attention has raised concerns about the safety of the city’s residents and workforce. Rue said he hopes the community will stick together.
“I have no doubt that Springfield will stand together in the face of these challenges. I encourage everyone to look out for one another with care and compassion as we work to keep our community safe and strong,” the mayor said.
Most recently, multiple grocery stores were evacuated Wednesday amid bomb threats, which police say were unfounded, according to local news outlet WKEF.
A spokesperson for the city’s police department didn’t immediately return a request for comment, made after regular business hours.
On Sept. 13, students at two elementary schools were evacuated and one middle school closed after the school district was emailed threats, according to a statement from the district. The day prior, a similar incident occurred at the city hall, another elementary school, and several other locations after receiving threats.
“All threats to the Springfield City School District are taken seriously and will be prosecuted at the highest levels,” Superintendent Robert Hill wrote in a Sept. 13 statement.
College classes at Wittenberg University and Clark State College were also held virtually this week, according to school alerts issued the following Monday.
“After receiving new threats on Monday, Sept. 16, and in the context of ongoing threats of violence on our campus and in the Springfield community, Wittenberg will go fully remote for the rest of the week,” a statement on Wittenberg’s website reads.
Clark State College said they will hold classes virtually until Friday “due to recent events in Springfield.”
During a press conference on Sept. 16, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said as a precaution, 36 Ohio State Highway Patrol Officers for the “foreseeable future” will conduct daily morning sweeps of Springfield City School District facilities.
DeWine said many of the threats made were unfounded and were meant to fuel tension in the city.
“We cannot let the bad guys win. … We must take every threat seriously, but children deserve to be in school, and parents deserve to know that their kids are safe,” the governor said in a statement. “The added security will help ease some of the fears caused by these hoaxes.”
Bomb detection dogs and security cameras have been stationed throughout the city, according to DeWine. He said at least 33 bomb threats were made with many of them from overseas, but didn’t name any countries.
Former President Donald Trump commented on the claims about immigrants during his second presidential debate last week, while vice presidential candidate JD Vance spoke about them on X the day before.
Other claims have alleged that immigrants were squatting on private property and crashing vehicles, according to people who spoke at recent town hall events.
Meanwhile, the state’s attorney general Dave Yost, said in a Sept. 11 post on X there were credible claims of immigrants capturing geese for food.
“There’s a recorded police call from a witness who saw immigrants capturing geese for food in Springfield. Citizens testified to City Council,” Yost wrote.
Yost alleged some media outlets have followed the words of the city and ignored such claims, yet the callers would be “competent witnesses” in court.
“Why does the media find a carefully worded City Hall press release better evidence?” Yost wrote.
Responding to the allegations, the city’s strategic engagement manager Karen Graves said in a Sept. 10 statement sent to The Epoch Times there have been “no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused,” by any of the city’s Haitian immigrants. A Springfield police spokesperson made a similar statement.
In a Sept. 14 statement sent to NTD News, she said the bomb threats “have not been substantiated” and were likely made up to invoke a police response.
City Manager Bryan Heck confirmed in a recent Facebook announcement the city is facing some challenges related to the influx of immigrants, as the population growth has strained city resources, and said the area has also benefited from new residents who contribute to the workforce, including local businesses.
“These rumors will not distract us from addressing the real strain on our resources, including the impact to our schools, healthcare systems, and first responders,” Heck said.
Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants has been extended until Feb. 3, 2026, including those who have entered illegally, which protects them from being deported to their home country.
Some 15,000 Haitians have arrived in the city of about 59,000 people since 2020.
Haiti is currently listed as “Level 4–Do Not Travel” due to kidnappings, crime, and a poor health care infrastructure, amid other concerns, according to the U.S. State Department.