It's easy to laugh at lies about pet-eating immigrants. But xenophobia hurts people.

When former President Donald Trump, during the presidential debate, accused Haitian immigrants in Ohio of eating pet cats and dogs, many of us immediately reacted by remarking how completely nonsensical and ridiculous this lie is. The police chief in Springfield, Ohio has stated there are no verified claims of immigrants eating pets. The Springfield mayor and Ohio’s Republican governor have reiterated that this is not happening.

But Haitian immigrants in Ohio are facing vandalism, property damage and harassment. Some families are keeping their children home from school because they are afraid for their safety. The day after the debate, one woman told another news outlet, “We’re all victims this morning. They’re attacking us in every way.”

What is the reality in Ohio? Haitians are filling shortages in the industrial economy and health care, running restaurants, and more. A TV news clip of a business owner who employs Haitian immigrants praised his workers, saying, "They don’t have a drug problem. They’ll stay at their machine. That’s a stark difference from what we’re used to.”

America is no stranger to xenophobic “immigrants eating animals” rhetoric turning into attacks and harassment. In the late 1800s, a rumor spread that Chinese American immigrants who came seeking a better life in this country were eating dogs. This took place while harassment, discrimination, violence and even hangings of Chinese immigrants pervaded the West Coast. In 1882, the U.S. Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, a terrible moment in our nation’s history that was followed by further laws banning immigration from certain nations.

Trump's debate nonsense on cat-eating conspiracy makes me want to laugh, cry

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump inflamed anti-Asian hate by calling COVID-19 the “China virus” and “kung flu.” Stop AAPI Hate received 9,081 reports of anti-Asian hate incidents in the first 15 months of the pandemic.

Trump has long vilified immigrants, calling Mexicans rapists during his 2016 campaign, and now, during his current bid, has promoted fear and hatred of all immigrants. He has repeatedly called for mass deportation, which is inhumane, un-American, unconstitutional and completely impractical. Project 2025 also calls for the end to birthright citizenship and the end of legal status for DACA recipients–Dreamers who were brought to America as children.

Whether it’s in the Oval Office or on the campaign trail, Trump has always been about vitriol and attacks, keeping problems going, not solving them. Bipartisan solutions to improve our immigration system have been presented at the federal level, including increasing staffing at the border and enhancing the asylum process. Other efforts for comprehensive immigration reform have been offered for many years, often with bipartisan sponsorship.

The reality is that immigrants commit less crime than American citizens, as report after report has indicated. Many of the migrants coming to our country seeking asylum or better opportunity are fleeing violence, extreme poverty, or war. Many are women and children. Migrants do not choose to endure days of exhaustion on journeys through jungles and across rivers to criminalize others — anyone believing that racist nonsense needs a serious reality check. These families make these choices out of desperation and the hope for a better life for themselves and their children.

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The poem inscribed on our Statue of Liberty says: “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free / The wretched refused of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Sept. 13-22 marks Welcoming Week across America, an important time for us all to recognize the contributions of immigrants to our economy, our tax base, and the vibrancy of our communities. And most importantly, it is a time for us to recognize the humanity of people seeking refuge and the American Dream.

What I know is this: Despite all of the continued hate and fearmongering, however demoralizing it has been, immigrant communities will survive and persevere, just like we always have. Immigrants and refugees have endured war, poverty, economic desperation, violence and dangerous political turmoil in their home countries. Immigrants and refugees have crossed rivers, jungles, deserts and oceans because of the dream and the promise America has long provided to people across the world.

I am a proud daughter of immigrants and have the honor of serving a district with diverse immigrant populations. I know that the incredible strength and resilience of immigrant communities — along with the support of our allies — will get us through this turbulent time.

Stephanie Chang represents Michigan's 3rd District in the state Senate.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump's lies about immigrants eating cats and dogs community harm