Haitian Nonprofit Files Slim Chance Charges Against Trump, Vance Over Claims

A nonprofit organization advocating for Haitian communities has taken legal steps against Ohio Senator JD Vance and former President Donald Trump. The Haitian Bridges Alliance seeks to file criminal charges against both figures, claiming their unfounded assertions about Haitian immigrants in Springfield eating pets have incited fear and disruption in the community.

This action was formally initiated on Tuesday, with the organization alleging that both Vance and Trump made repeated, baseless claims regarding the behavior of Haitian immigrants. Under Ohio law, private citizens have the capacity to petition for prosecution by submitting an affidavit for the consideration of a prosecutor or a judge.

Ohio’s Republican Attorney General, Dave Yost, has expressed doubt about the effectiveness of this legal strategy shortly after the affidavit was filed. “This affidavit seeking criminal charges against Trump doesn’t set out a crime or even allege a causal connection to Trump’s comments,” Yost noted in a post on X, which was formerly known as Twitter.

Despite local and state officials denouncing the allegations as untrue, the city of Springfield, with a population of 60,000, has experienced turmoil. The area has faced bomb threats and decreased school attendance amid rising national media scrutiny surrounding the claims.

Based in San Diego, the Haitian Bridges Alliance represents the interests of migrants, particularly in the Haitian and Black communities. The organization is led by former federal prosecutor Subodh Chandra, who has previous experience in running for the Democratic nomination for Ohio Attorney General in 2006.

The criminal charges proposed against Trump and Vance focus on a range of offenses including disrupting public services, making false alarms, telecommunications harassment, aggravated menacing, and complicity.

Furthermore, the organization has asked the court either to issue arrest warrants for both individuals or to forward the case to the prosecutor’s office for evaluation.

Guerline Jozef, the executive director of the Haitian Bridges Alliance, articulated the gravity of the situation in court documents, stating, “Trump and Vance falsely claim Haitians are a danger to Springfield. Now, many in Springfield face actual harm from threats that have even resulted in closures and lockdowns of government buildings, hospitals, schools, and colleges.” Jozef added that the disruptive behavior perpetrated by Vance and Trump is detrimental to a community that deserves better treatment.

Attorneys representing the organization argued that the conduct exhibited by Vance and Trump meets the necessary threshold for probable cause. They highlighted that if an average citizen behaved similarly, law enforcement would likely pursue charges against them.

Vance and Trump’s assertions have gained traction amidst a contentious political climate, where immigration remains a pivotal issue for many Republicans. Vance has accused Haitian immigrants in Ohio of fostering chaos, claiming they are stealing pets and contributing to public health crises, including rising cases of tuberculosis and HIV.

In a post on X, Vance mentioned, “In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who’ve said their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants.”

Trump amplified these allegations during the recent presidential debate, stating, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating… they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”

However, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck has clarified that there is no evidence to support any claims of pets being harmed or consumed by immigrants. He remarked, “In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

Additionally, the statement addressed other circulating rumors, noting, “There have been no verified instances of illegal activities such as squatting or littering attributable to the immigrant community, nor any reports of traffic disruptions linked to them.”

In light of the filed affidavit, State Attorney General Dave Yost remarked, “It won’t survive a cursory probable cause analysis, let alone scrutiny under the First Amendment,” indicating his skepticism of the lawsuit’s merit.

Source: USA Today