Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump vowed on Friday to carry out mass deportations of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, despite the fact that most of them are legally residing in the U.S.

The city has recently been at the center of a social media storm, fueled by false claims from right-wing agitators that Haitian newcomers were eating household pets.

“We will conduct large-scale deportations in Springfield, Ohio,” Trump stated during a press conference at his golf resort near Los Angeles.

Of the 15,000 Haitians living in Springfield, the majority are there legally. Trump’s usual focus on mass deportations primarily targets undocumented immigrants.

During the press conference, Trump did not repeat his controversial claim from Tuesday’s presidential debate with Democrat Kamala Harris that immigrants were eating dogs and cats, a remark that has since been widely ridiculed.

In response to the escalating situation, two elementary schools were evacuated, and a middle school in Springfield was closed on Friday following anonymous bomb threats, marking the second day of such threats, according to ABC News.

At the White House, President Joe Biden called for an end to the hostility against the Haitian community.

“This is wrong. It has no place in America. What Trump is doing must stop,” Biden urged.

The Biden administration in June extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the U.S., a long-standing program that shields legal immigrants from deportation and grants work permits. Haiti’s ongoing gang violence has displaced over half a million people, with nearly five million facing extreme food insecurity.

Trump has cited the unrest in Springfield as evidence for tougher immigration policies. While the arrival of Haitians has benefited the local economy, it has also strained social services.

“I’m furious about illegal Haitian migrants overrunning Springfield, Ohio. You’ve seen the chaos, haven’t you?” Trump said later that day at a rally in Las Vegas.

He went on to add, “I’m outraged by young American girls being raped and murdered by savage criminal aliens who enter our country illegally.”

Haitian community leaders across the country expressed concern that Trump’s rhetoric could incite violence and worsen tensions in Springfield.

“We need help, not hate,” Springfield Mayor Rob Rue told ABC News.

City officials have reported no credible evidence of pets being consumed, and Karen Graves, a city spokesperson, confirmed that while there have been no recent hate crimes targeting Haitians, some residents have fallen victim to “crimes of opportunity,” such as theft.

Toronto: An official Indian delegation attended the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), marking the first such visit to Canada in nearly a year.

Led by a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the delegation represented India at the festival, with an official Bharat Pavilion set up at TIFF’s Industry Centre.

During the visit, the delegation held bilateral meetings with Telefilm Canada, a government agency responsible for promoting, financing, and developing the country’s screen-based industries. They also met with representatives from Ontario Creates, the provincial agency focused on fostering economic development and collaboration within Ontario’s creative industries, including film, music, television, and digital media. Additional meetings were held with Australian officials at the festival.

This was the first formal visit by an Indian delegation since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons on September 18 last year, where he alleged a potential connection between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. The allegation led to a strain in diplomatic relations, halting public bilateral engagements, with India dismissing Trudeau’s claim as “absurd” and “motivated.”

However, the Indian presence at TIFF faced challenges, as six officials from the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) were unable to attend due to either visa denials or delayed processing of travel documents.

Despite these setbacks, TIFF partnered with NFDC to premiere a high-quality digital restoration of Raj Kapoor’s classic film Awara, which was screened on Friday. The film was presented by acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur, who also serves as the director of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Pope Francis, during a press conference aboard the papal plane returning from a trip across Asia, criticized both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump for their stances on abortion, stating they are “both against life.”

On his flight from Singapore to Jakarta, the Pope pointed out the moral dilemma American voters could face in the upcoming November election. When asked how Catholics should approach voting between a candidate who supports abortion rights and another who advocates deporting millions of migrants, he said, “They are both against life — the one who discards migrants and the one who kills children.”

In response to whether Catholics could morally support a candidate who backs abortion rights, the Pope emphasized, “One must vote,” even when faced with difficult moral choices. He noted the challenge of picking between candidates with significant flaws, adding, “One must choose the lesser of two evils. Who is the lesser of two evils? That lady or that gentleman? I do not know.” He urged American Catholics to act with conscience in making their decision.

He also condemned the mistreatment of migrants, calling it a “grave sin,” and highlighted that immigration is a fundamental right rooted in biblical teachings. Drawing from the Old Testament, he reminded listeners of the call to care for “the orphan, the widow, and the stranger — that is, the migrant.”

Reiterating the Church’s stance on abortion, he referred to it as “murder” and added, “Whether you like the word or not, it is a killing. It is an assassination, and on this, we should be clear.”

In addition to his comments on the U.S. election, Pope Francis expressed his satisfaction with ongoing dialogue with China, calling the country “a promise and a hope for the Church.”