MSNBC commentator Maria Hinojosa suggested Friday that the reason Haitian immigrants aren't stealing pets in Springfield, Ohio, is because the state has an open-carry gun law.
Hinojosa denied unproven reports published on MSNBC's “Ana Cabrera Report” that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were stealing and eating geese and other pets, citing pet owners who would pull a gun on immigrants trying to steal their pets as proof the rumors were untrue.
“I know Ohio, too. Ohio is an open carry state when it comes to guns,” Hinojosa said. “You know how much people love their pets. There's no way in Ohio, where guns are allowed, that we're going to let people just take their cats and their dogs and walk away. Someone's going to pull out a gun and say, 'Don't take my dog.' So that's not going to happen. It's not true.”
MSNBC analyst says pets can't be stolen in Ohio because it's an open carry state pic.twitter.com/NuwyDUonPo
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 13, 2024
Ohio individuals 21 and older Allowed Carrying a concealed handgun without a license or permit, unless the carrying or possession of a firearm is prohibited. (Related: CNN's Scott Jennings criticizes Acosta for suggesting Trump should drop out of the race because of his pet rumor mill)
Hinojosa suggested immigrants are being “targeted” because of their race and claimed the Trump campaign would “double down” on those rumors.
Republican candidate Donald Trump stated Haitian illegal immigrants in Springfield are eating dogs and cats, he claimed at a debate Tuesday night and a rally in Arizona Thursday night. Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance said Tuesday he has received several inquiries from Springfield about immigrants kidnapping pets, and acknowledged the reports could be false.
The rumor began when Springfield resident Anthony Harris claimed at a local council meeting in August that Haitian immigrants were decapitating and eating ducks in a local park. Social media posts make headlines A poster on a Springfield Facebook group claimed a dead cat had been found near a Haitian neighbor's home, being butchered for consumption.
“I don't know what's going on over there, but we can't do that here,” Harris said. “I don't want to seem like I'm blaming immigrants, because it's the people who brought them here… They're grabbing ducks by the neck in the park, cutting their heads off and walking out and eating them.”
Police Body Cameras picture In Canton, Ohio, 27-year-old Alexis Terrier Ferrell was filmed eating a cat in front of her neighbors, sparking rumors that immigrants in the state are eating cats and other pets. Authorities arrested her on August 16 for eating the animal “in front of multiple people” in a residential area. According to To Fox 12.
Springfield officials evacuated City Hall Thursday morning and primary school He was fired on Friday after receiving bomb threats in response to these rumors.
Springfield residents told the Daily Caller News Foundation they have never witnessed a pet being eaten, but that a large influx of immigrants into the community has led to a housing crisis and a spike in crime.
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