Unsettling rumors ignited on the national political stage were swirling through town that local immigrants were stealing and eating pets. The meeting had been organized by town religious leaders who were desperate to counter the claims.

Ohio officials have stationed state police at Springfield schools in response to bomb threats that officials say are mostly coming from overseas.

( NewsNation) — The mayor of Springfield, Ohio, which has been flung into the national spotlight over false claims by Donald Trump and JD Vance about Haitian immigrants eating neighbors’ pets, said the city would face significant “strain” and a “tax on resources” if the former president were to visit.