S MOVED HERE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AFTER SPRINGFIELD'S OFFICIALS ADVERTISED THEIR JOBS. >> IN SPRINGFIELD, THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS, THE PEOPLE THAT CAME IN, THEY'RE EATING THE CATS. >> Reporter: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP EATING UNFOUNDED CLAIMS THAT MEMBERS OF THE HAITIAN POPULATION IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ARE EATING ANIMALS. CITY OFFICIALS SAY THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF THAT. HIS BASELESS ACCUSATIONS SETTING OFF A SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM. >> THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS, THEY'RE EATING THE CATS. >> Reporter: OHIO'S REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SAYING THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF THE CLAIMS. >> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP ON THE INTERNET. >> Reporter: HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS HERE SHOCKED AND HURT. THIS MAN, TOO FRIGHTENED TO SHOW HIS FACE OR USE HIS NAME SAY COWORKERS AT HIS CONSTRUCTION JOB HAVE REPEATEDLY ASKED HIM IF HE'S CATS. VILLA, WHO RUNS A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR HAITIANS, SAY MANY FLED VIOLENCE AT HOME. >> I'VE GOT A FRIEND CALLING ME ASKING ME IF HE HAS TO LEAVE, BECAUSE HE'S SCARED FOR HIS LIFE. >> Reporter: ON MONDAY, TRUMP'S RUNNING MATE, SENATOR J.D. VANCE, CLAIMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THERE WERE REPORTS OF PETS BEING ABDUCTED AND EATEN HERE, DOUBLING DOWN AFTER THE DEBATE. >> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO HAITIAN AMERICANS AND HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS WHO SAY, SPREADING FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THEM PUT THEIR LIVES AT RISK? >> WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT -- NO ONE HAS SPREAD FALSE CLAIMS. WHAT THEY'VE SAID, THAT SMALL MIGRANT COMMUNITY HAS CAUSED A LOT OF PROBLEMS. >> Reporter: BILL HELPS MANAGE A LOCAL FACEBOOK GROUP CALLED STOP THE INFLUX INTO SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, AND HE BELIEVES THAT SOME OF THE BASELESS CLAIMS ARE CREDIBLE. >> IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO TURN BASICALLY FROM AN AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO A HAITIAN COMMUNITY. >> Reporter: TENSIONS HAVE BEEN HIGH HERE SINCE 11-YEAR-OLD AIDAN CLARK WAS KILLED IN A SCHOOL BUS CRASH LAST YEAR. IN MAY, A JURY FOUND A HAITIAN IMMIGRANT GUILTY OF VEHICULAR HOMICIDE, BUT AIDAN'S PARENTS ARE URGING PEOPLE TO STOP USING THEIR SON'S DEATH TO SPREAD HATE. >> DO YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE WORST FEELINGS IN THE WORLD IS TO NOT BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD. EVEN WORSE, WE CAN'T EVEN PROTECT HIS MEMORY WHEN HE'S GONE. PLEASE STOP THE HATE. >> Reporter: THE PET RUMORS SEEMINGLY GOT STARTED WITH AN UNRELATED CASE IN A SEPARATE PART OF OHIO, WHERE A U.S. CITIZEN WAS ARRESTED