SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) 鈥� For many Haitian immigrants, Sunday mornings in Springfield, Ohio, are spent joyfully worshipping God as they sing and pray in their native Creole. This Sunday, they needed that uplifting balm more than ever.
Their community is reeling 鈥� confused, frustrated, hurt 鈥� from false accusations that they are eating their neighbor鈥檚 cats and dogs. The now viral and are being fueled by former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and others, and violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city.
鈥淛esus is with us in truth, and the truth is that Haitians are not eating pets and geese in Springfield,鈥� said the Rev. Carl Ruby, preaching at Central Christian Church. He invited community members to join his congregation in prayer and peaceful protest of the false rumors leveled against their Haitian neighbors.
They also demanded an apology.
鈥淚t is truth that a retraction of these rumors will help to restore peace in Springfield," Ruby said. 鈥淲e respectfully call on all politicians and media figures who are promoting this rumor to help make Springfield great and safe again by speaking the truth about our community.鈥�
Viles Dorsainvil, the leader of Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield, accepted Ruby's invitation to worship together at Central Christian, and was grateful to be relying on his faith.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be here because we鈥檙e Christian 鈥� despite everything, we worship in good times and bad times,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 relieved that I鈥檓 in the presence of God. It鈥檚 therapeutic.鈥�
And he had a message for Trump and Vance: 鈥淚f they have the heart of God, they will think differently and speak differently.鈥�
The rumors, spread on social media and by Trump during Tuesday鈥檚 against Vice President Kamala Harris, have exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of the election in the mostly white, blue-collar city of about 59,000 where more than 15,000 Haitians now live and work.
Thousands of temporary Haitian migrants have legally landed in Springfield in recent years under the U.S.'s Temporary Protected Status program, as longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to .
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has said the needs to do more to help cities like Springfield serve the influx of migrants. On ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week," DeWine called the Haitians good, hardworking people who are in the U.S. legally, and said the false rumors are a piece of internet garbage.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no evidence of this at all,鈥� he said during the program.
Despite the governor and local officials debunking the rumors, the conspiracy theory on Sunday's 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥� on CBS while blasting Harris on her U.S.-Mexico border policy.
At Central Christian Church, Ruby encouraged his congregation to help hand out thousands of cards around Springfield that had been printed in Creole and English with a message of support for Haitians. It reads" 鈥淚鈥檓 glad you are here. Christ loves you and so do I."
As the service ended, Ruby praised parishioners for a beautiful moment amid what he called a storm of chaos. Looking at the Haitian members in the first pew and at the rest of his congregation, he asked them to come together in prayer: 鈥淧ray and think what it is to be a Haitian parent sending their child this week to school."
One of those parents is Mia Perez, 35 an immigration lawyer whose 9-year-old daughter had to evacuate her school twice because of to a nearby DMV this week.
鈥淜ids in school are being asked by other kids: 鈥橦ow does the dog taste? How does the cat taste?鈥� Perez said, describing her daughter鈥檚 distress.
"She鈥檚 asking, 'Are we the kind of Haitians who eat this kind of stuff? Is it true? What鈥檚 happening?'鈥�
鈥淭his is a conversation that I was not ready to have with my daughter," Perez said. "I felt disrespected of our culture.鈥�
On Sunday, Perez attended a service at Saint Raphael鈥檚 Catholic church, while a Springfield police officer stood guard outside. Attendance by Haitians was lower than usual, and Perez 鈥� after talking with others who did attend 鈥� said many from their community stayed away out of fears for their safety,
鈥淭his is emotional," she said. "They made a statement of not being here. Catholic Haitian people have such strong faith 鈥� not even hurricanes can keep them away, but look at this here today.鈥�
Another service was held at The First Haitian Church, located next to the Haitian Community Center.
鈥淭hey feel the threat. They feel not welcome,鈥� Bernardette Dor, 51, one of the pastors, said after the service. 鈥淓ven in the school system sometimes, they feel different, not because of their skin color but because they鈥檙e Haitian. But the reality is that we鈥檙e beautiful and we鈥檙e blessed.鈥�
Though she worries about repercussions of the false statements, she said gathering to worship with her community and feeling support from others in Springfield gives her hope.
鈥淲e are united. It is time for good to stand for good,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his time the city of Springfield, Haitian people, asked the Lord to stay together to fight for good ... America is a great loving country, and American people care for people 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 matter if they are Haitian. We鈥檙e against lies.鈥�
After the service, some parishioners gathered at Rose Goute Creole restaurant for a traditional Haitian meal of rice and beans, fried plantains and pork. One of them, Jacob Payen, said the restaurant has been transformed in recent days.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been outnumbered 鈥� we have more non-Haitian guests here at the restaurant who are curious to know the culture and Haitian cuisine,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e feel that they鈥檙e sending a strong message: if they鈥檙e here eating with us because they trust us.鈥�
Among those attending the earlier service at Central Christian was Rose-Thamar Joseph, 40, who works at the Haitian Community Center.
鈥淚 was praying for peace and protection 鈥� for the Haitian community and all of Springfield," she said. 鈥淚 just want Springfield to go back to what it was a couple of months ago."
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AP visual journalist Jessie Wardarski contributed.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Luis Andres Henao, The Associated Press
