Central Ohio Today

Audio obtained by The Federalist shared on social media reveals a police call from August 26th in Springfield, Ohio, where a witness reported seeing a group of Haitian migrants carrying geese. Despite media dismissals, the incident has fueled local concerns about migrant behavior, safety, and the strain on community resources amidst a surge in immigration.

“BREAKING: Audio obtained by The Federalist of a call made to police on August 26th about a group of Haitian migrants carrying geese in Springfield, OH. The media has been telling us this is all a lie," Libs of TikTok wrote in a Sept. 11 social media post on X. 

According to a report by The Federalist, audio and police reports confirm that a group of Haitian migrants was spotted carrying geese in Springfield, leading to concerns among local residents. A caller reported seeing four migrants, each holding a goose, and the incident occurred on August 26. The town, a Columbus suburb, has become a focal point in the national debate on immigration, with residents sharing alarming stories about the behavior of new migrants. These include allegations of public harassment and the killing of local wildlife, leading to fears about safety and strained local resources. 

The following is a transcript of a phone call made to Clark County 911 obtained by The Federalist.

Caller: I'm riding on the trail going to my orientation for my job today, and I see a group of Haitian people, there was about four of them, they all had geese in their hand. They got away, I couldn't make out the first three in the license plate, but I got the numbers. The last number was 9-8-9-8, and it was a gray Toyota Tacoma that they took off on. There was about four of them, there was two men, two women. I couldn't tell the age, because I'm in a hurry going to this orientation, so I don't be late. 

911 Dispatcher: What direction did they go?

Caller: They went up towards the middle of (inaudible).

911 Dispatcher: Okay, and what path are you on?

Caller: Right now? Hold on just a second, I'm coming to the intersection of, wait a second here, it says Water and Warder Street. 

911 Dispatcher: Water and Warder, is that the area you saw them?

Caller: Yes, it was about two minutes back behind me, I was trying to get my phone out, and trying to make it to this orientation on time. I'm time-crunching here, and I saw that, I'm like, yeah, this has got to be reported. 

911 Dispatcher: How many geese did they have? 

Caller: They each had one. Now, the Toyota Tacoma did look like a newer model.

The influx of over 20,000 migrants has caused significant tension, with residents expressing frustrations at city meetings, feeling unprotected and overwhelmed by the challenges brought on by the sudden population surge.

“There’s a recorded police call from a witness who saw immigrants capturing geese for food in Springfield,” Yost wrote in a Sept. 11 social media post on X. “Citizens testified to City Council. These people would be competent witnesses in court. Why does the media find a carefully worded City Hall press release better evidence?”

During the presidential debate, ABC fact-checker David Muir said that ABC News reached out to the city manager of Springfield and found “no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” after candidate Donald Trump claimed that migrants in Ohio were killing and eating pets.