PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A recent wave of misinformation has sparked a significant backlash from South Florida’s Haitian community after Republican Vice President nominee JD Vance propagated a false rumor claiming that a Haitian immigrant was preparing to eat a lost cat.
The unsubstantiated story, which originated in a Springfield, Ohio Facebook group, quickly spread online, drawing widespread condemnation and concern.
The controversy began when a Facebook post alleged that a cat, which had gone missing, was discovered in a Haitian neighbor’s yard and was being prepared for consumption.
The post’s sensational claims, lacking any credible evidence, rapidly gained traction on social media, igniting fear and anger among local residents and beyond.
Theova Milfort, a prominent Haitian activist, was among the first to address the rumor, denouncing it as “fake news.”
In a statement, Milfort, who was visibly emotional and draped in the Haitian flag when speaking to Local 10 News on Tuesday, likened the spread of such misinformation to a “Hiroshima” or “Nagasaki bomb,” underscoring the severe impact these falsehoods have on the Haitian community.
“There’s a pattern of these kinds of attacks,” Milfort said. “Every time, it’s like they just drop a bomb on us for no reason. This kind of misinformation is deeply harmful and unjustified.”
Local authorities in Springfield have confirmed that there have been no credible reports of pets being stolen or harmed.
Springfield police and city officials have clarified that the story has no factual basis and has been debunked. Despite this, the rumor continued to gain momentum online, driven by high-profile political figures.
Haitian leaders said Vance amplified the false narrative by taking to X to accuse immigrants of abducting and eating pets. Vance’s posts not only repeated the unfounded claims but also linked them to broader immigration issues, suggesting that such incidents were part of a larger, troubling trend.
“Where is our border czar?” Vance wrote in a post on X, further stoking fears and contributing to the spread of the misinformation. His comments were widely criticized for exploiting the situation for political gain and exacerbating existing tensions.
The controversy was further inflamed by Senator Ted Cruz, who shared a meme on social media urging voters to support Donald Trump to prevent Haitian immigrants from harming pets. The meme, which used the false claims as a basis for political campaigning, drew criticism for perpetuating racial stereotypes and fueling xenophobia.
Ronald Surin, president of the Haitian American Democratic Club of Broward County, shared his outrage at the false narrative and its political exploitation.
“It’s absolutely, outrageously offensive,” Surin said.
“Whenever they can find some kind of immigrant story to highlight their own view, to demonstrate that immigrants are an impediment to this country, they just use it,” Surin added. “This kind of rhetoric is nothing new but it’s always harmful and divisive.”
Surin also noted that the incident has galvanized the Haitian American community.
“We are fed up. Enough is enough,” he said. “We’re going to do our part to make sure that figures like JD Vance and Donald Trump do not get elected.”