As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off against each other in the presidential debate on Tuesday evening (Sep 10), some strange comments by the latter caught everyone's attention.&nbsp;

During the fiery debate, matters like abortion and migrants came up. On one occasion, Trump said that Haitian migrants were "eating pets" in Springfield, Ohio.&nbsp;

"In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there," Trump said.

Harris was shocked to hear the strange claims made by the former president and responded with, "What? This is unbelievable. Talk about extreme," and let out a laugh.&nbsp;

The matter of Haitians being accused of eating pets in Ohio first came to light following some social media posts and unsubstantiated claims made by people living in the area. Some people in the area say that the migrants are stealing pets from yards and ducks from parks and eating them.&nbsp;

Trump is not the only one&nbsp;saying this. His running mate, JD Vance, has also backed the reports, saying he has received several complaints about it. He raised the matter in a social media post. "People have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country," Vance wrote on X.

“Senator Vance has received a high volume of calls and emails over the past several weeks from concerned citizens in Springfield: his tweet is based on what he is hearing from them,” one of his spokespersons told The Hill.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/viral-claims-suggest-haitian-migrants-are-eating-pets-and-ducks-from-parks-in-ohio-757396">Viral claims suggest Haitian migrants are eating pets and ducks from parks in Ohio</a>

Even X owner, Elon Musk, has pushed these claims further, re-posting AI photos of Trump saving ducks and cats, one of which was originally posted by House Judiciary GOP.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🥰 <a href="https://t.co/b2NIbLkgIL">https://t.co/b2NIbLkgIL</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1833155431885402401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Save them! 😢 <a href="https://t.co/aLMPTJIPd9">pic.twitter.com/aLMPTJIPd9</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1833220440254513243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

<h2>Claims on social media</h2>

During a meeting of the Springfield City Commission in August, a man claimed that migrants from Haiti were stealing and beheading ducks taken from local parks and then taking them home to eat. However, he did not provide any proof.&nbsp;

“They’re in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking up with them and eating them,” the man said.&nbsp;

A woman later claimed, as per the Springfield Facebook group, that a friend's cat went missing and she later saw it hanging in the yard of the home of a Haitian migrant, all butchered up.&nbsp;

However, none of the claims were verified.&nbsp;

Even during the debate, ABC News moderator David Muir clarified that the officials in Springfield have not found any proof of such a thing happening. "I just want to clarify here, you bring up Springfield, Ohio. And ABC News did reach out to the city manager there. He told us there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals."

Meanwhile, some social media commenters are calling the claims "racist, xenophobic responses to Springfield’s shifting demographics". Notably, the white population has been declining in the city and that of blacks and Hispanics is rising.&nbsp;

As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off against each other in the presidential debate on Tuesday evening (Sep 10), some strange comments by the latter caught everyone's attention.

As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off against each other in the presidential debate on Tuesday evening (Sep 10), some strange comments by the latter caught everyone's attention. During the fiery debate, matters like abortion and migrants came up. On one occasion, Trump said that Haitian migrants were "eating pets" in Springfield, Ohio. "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there," Trump said. Harris was shocked to hear the strange claims made by the former president and responded with, "What? This is unbelievable. Talk about extreme," and let out a laugh. The matter of Haitians being accused of eating pets in Ohio first came to light following some social media posts and unsubstantiated claims made by people living in the area. Some people in the area say that the migrants are stealing pets from yards and ducks from parks and eating them. Trump is not the only one saying this. His running mate, JD Vance, has also backed the reports, saying he has received several complaints about it. He raised the matter in a social media post. "People have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country," Vance wrote on X. “Senator Vance has received a high volume of calls and emails over the past several weeks from concerned citizens in Springfield: his tweet is based on what he is hearing from them,” one of his spokespersons told The Hill. Also Read: Viral claims suggest Haitian migrants are eating pets and ducks from parks in Ohio Even X owner, Elon Musk, has pushed these claims further, re-posting AI photos of Trump saving ducks and cats, one of which was originally posted by House Judiciary GOP. 🥰 https://t.co/b2NIbLkgIL — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 9, 2024 × Save them! 😢 pic.twitter.com/aLMPTJIPd9 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 9, 2024 × Claims on social media During a meeting of the Springfield City Commission in August, a man claimed that migrants from Haiti were stealing and beheading ducks taken from local parks and then taking them home to eat. However, he did not provide any proof. “They’re in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off and walking up with them and eating them,” the man said. A woman later claimed, as per the Springfield Facebook group, that a friend's cat went missing and she later saw it hanging in the yard of the home of a Haitian migrant, all butchered up. However, none of the claims were verified. Even during the debate, ABC News moderator David Muir clarified that the officials in Springfield have not found any proof of such a thing happening. "I just want to clarify here, you bring up Springfield, Ohio. And ABC News did reach out to the city manager there. He told us there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals." Meanwhile, some social media commenters are calling the claims "racist, xenophobic responses to Springfield’s shifting demographics". Notably, the white population has been declining in the city and that of blacks and Hispanics is rising.

Trump claims Haiti migrants are 'eating dogs, cats'. Musk and Vance believe him

More Haitian migrants could be released into the United States in coming days, US Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday, after a days-long border crisis which became a major headache for Joe Biden's administration.

Officials said on Friday that some 12,400 migrants, most of them from Haiti, were released into the United States in recent days, part of a flow of thousands crossing the Rio Grande river from Mexico near Del Rio, Texas.

They will have their cases heard by an immigration judge to determine whether or not they will be allowed to stay.

The migrant number could yet rise, Mayorkas said in a series of appearances on US talk shows.

"It could be even higher," he told Fox News Sunday.

The situation facing the migrants on the border and in Del Rio in particular has provoked major backlash for the Biden administration.

Since September 9 some 30,000 migrants, most of them Haitian, have turned up in the town.

The number of people, along with controversial images of US border patrol on horseback appearing to threaten the migrants and the decision to deport thousands back to Haiti, ignited widespread fury.

On Friday officials said that the migrants had been dispersed.

In addition to the 12,400 who are being allowed to plead their case before a US judge, around 2,000 people were returned to Haiti on expulsion flights, and an estimated 8,000 have voluntarily returned to Mexico.

Another 5,000 are being processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine if they will be subject to removal proceedings, officials said Friday. It is this 5,000 who could add to the numbers already entering the United States.&nbsp;

Republicans have seized on the situation to batter the Democratic president, with Senator Tim Scott accusing Biden of failing to secure the border.

"I think President Biden and his administration owns the crisis that they've created," Scott told CBS on Sunday.

Mayorkas, seeking to defuse the crisis, said DHS was following the law to determine whether to deport migrants who cross the border illegally.

But in another interview he deplored those same laws.

"We are working in a completely broken system," he told NBC Sunday. "I've never heard anyone say that the laws in immigration are well structured."

More Haitian migrants could be released into the United States in coming days, US Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday, after a days-long border crisis which became a major headache for Joe Biden's administration.

More Haitian migrants could be released into the United States in coming days, US Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday, after a days-long border crisis which became a major headache for Joe Biden's administration. Officials said on Friday that some 12,400 migrants, most of them from Haiti, were released into the United States in recent days, part of a flow of thousands crossing the Rio Grande river from Mexico near Del Rio, Texas. They will have their cases heard by an immigration judge to determine whether or not they will be allowed to stay. The migrant number could yet rise, Mayorkas said in a series of appearances on US talk shows. "It could be even higher," he told Fox News Sunday. The situation facing the migrants on the border and in Del Rio in particular has provoked major backlash for the Biden administration. Since September 9 some 30,000 migrants, most of them Haitian, have turned up in the town. The number of people, along with controversial images of US border patrol on horseback appearing to threaten the migrants and the decision to deport thousands back to Haiti, ignited widespread fury. On Friday officials said that the migrants had been dispersed. In addition to the 12,400 who are being allowed to plead their case before a US judge, around 2,000 people were returned to Haiti on expulsion flights, and an estimated 8,000 have voluntarily returned to Mexico. Another 5,000 are being processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine if they will be subject to removal proceedings, officials said Friday. It is this 5,000 who could add to the numbers already entering the United States. Republicans have seized on the situation to batter the Democratic president, with Senator Tim Scott accusing Biden of failing to secure the border. "I think President Biden and his administration owns the crisis that they've created," Scott told CBS on Sunday. Mayorkas, seeking to defuse the crisis, said DHS was following the law to determine whether to deport migrants who cross the border illegally. But in another interview he deplored those same laws. "We are working in a completely broken system," he told NBC Sunday. "I've never heard anyone say that the laws in immigration are well structured."

US expects to release more Haitian migrants into country

Mexico and the United States were on Wednesday preparing to fly more Haitian migrants away from chaotic U.S.-Mexico border camps, as pressure mounted on U.S. President Joe Biden to stop expulsions of Haitians to their poor, disaster-hit homeland. Watch this report for more details.

Migrants make their way to Mexico from US

Pictures of using whip-like horse reins to threaten migrants from Haiti by the US border guards are concerning. Images have shown United States border guards on horseback attempting to contain migrants at a riverside camp near the country’s border with Mexico. Watch this report for more details.