The Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), a non-profit organization advocating for Haitian immigrants, filed criminal charges against former US President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance, his running mate in the current presidential race, on Sept. 24. The charges, brought before the municipal court in Ohio's Clark County, stem from false claims made by Trump and Vance alleging that Haitian immigrants in the town of Springfield were abducting and eating local pets.

The charges follow a tense few weeks in Springfield, which has seen an influx of Haitian immigrants over the past years. Vance, who represents Ohio in the Senate, spread the false claims on social media. Trump repeated the claims during his televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The allegations have sparked outrage and fear within Springfield's Haitian community. In the court filing, HBA claims that the comments by Trump and Vance have incited anti-immigrant sentiment, resulting in threats and harassment of local Haitian immigrants and those who support them.

Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, stated that the lawsuit seeks accountability for the harm caused by what she described as a deliberate smear campaign. Since the spread of these falsehoods, Springfield has seen over 30 bomb threats, forcing the evacuation of schools, hospitals and government buildings. "Trump and Vance’s lies have harmed the Springfield community, and their lies have violated criminal law," Jozef said in a statement. "This is about confronting white supremacy, anti-Black rhetoric, and hate speech that seems to be a constant in US politics and that continues to cause suffering. No one is above the law."

The legal action charges Trump and Vance with multiple crimes, including disrupting public services, making false alarms, telecommunications harassment and aggravated menacing. The lawsuit cites RC 2935.09, which allows private citizens to file criminal charges in Ohio. The court will now review the affidavit to determine whether arrest warrants for Trump and Vance should be issued.

From Jurist, Sept. 25. Used with permission.