At this week’s presidential debate, Donald J. Trump went into an unprompted digression about immigrants eating people’s pets. While the claims were debunked, the topic was left unexplained.

Miriam Jordan, who covers the impact of immigration policies for The Times, explains the story behind the shocking claims and the tragedy that gave rise to them.

Guest: Miriam Jordan, a national immigration correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• A local official said there was “absolutely no evidence” for the outlandish claim about Haitian migrants that Mr. Trump and his campaign have amplified.
• How an Ohio town landed in the middle of the immigration debate.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.