Last September, the small city of Springfield, Ohio, became a flashpoint in the national conversation

around immigration, when then vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance amplified a lie that Haitian

immigrants there were abducting and eating pets, which was then repeated by President Trump

during the presidential debate. Months later, Springfield is still reckoning with its turn

in the spotlight. Judy Woodruff visits the city as part of her ongoing series, America at a

crossroads. Hi, my name is Lukens Merzies. At his local public radio station, W. Y-S-O., Lukens-Merzis,

is getting the chance to tell his own story. a Haitian resident of Springfield, Ohio,

after months of his community being in the national spotlight.

When you share your stories, you share your experiences, you can make a difference. People can listen and understand what you've been told.

And every single time I had a conversation with Mali, she said, Dad, when you come to pick me up.

His contribution to the series, Haitians in the Heartland, is a personal one,

about one of his two daughters, who was then living in Haiti, reuniting with his family in

Springfield. Haiti is currently in the grips of a worsening humanitarian crisis.

It was great to see my daughter came to the United States.

That was pretty special. It's just about like hope, love, and faith.

The ABC News presidential debate. It's a story in stark contrast to how his community was

portrayed during the last two months of the presidential election.

In Springfield, they're eating the dogs, the people that came in. They're eating the cats.

When President Trump repeated false rumors on the debate stage to an audience of nearly 70 million people.

How did you even think about how to respond to that?

Ignorance and, you know, hate doesn't care about the truth. They don't care about what you're doing

great because they find a way to talk down about you. People's talked about their being stolen and aiding. Despite no evidence to

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