A Haitian nonprofit representing the community in Springfield, Ohio has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, accusing them of knowingly spreading false claims about legal immigrants eating cats and dogs, the Associated Presss reported.
In Ohio, private citizens can file lawsuits demanding that authorities enforce criminal law. In its lawsuit, the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a group that advocates on behalf of immigrants from Haiti, noted that the Republican presidential ticket has spread lies that have resulted in bomb threats, harassment and the disruption of public services.
"Their persistence and relentlessness, even in the face of the governor and the mayor saying this is false — that shows intent," attorney Subodh Chandra told FOX 8 on Tuesday. "It’s knowing, willful flouting of criminal law.”
The lawsuit asks the Clark County Municipal Court to confirm that there is probable cause to investigate Trump and Vance, FOX 8 reported.
“We want the judge to issue arrest warrants for Trump and Vance immediately, there is probable cause,” Chandra said. He added that the U.S. Supreme Court’s immunity ruling will not benefit the former president as he is currently a private citizen.
Over 30 bomb threats have been labeled against state and local government buildings and schools in Springfield since Trump and Vance began spreading falsehoods about the roughly 20,000 Haitian immigrants living there. Trump and Vance’s lies have disrupted the lives of all in the city, especially those Haitian residents, who say they fear for their safety. Mayor Rob Rue himself has received death threats.
“The Haitian community is suffering in fear because of Trump and Vance’s relentless, irresponsible, false alarms and public services have been disrupted,” Chandra said in a statement. “Trump and Vance must be held accountable to the rule of law. Anyone else who wreaked havoc the way they did would have been arrested by now.”
During an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Vance admitted to spreading the falsehoods that have wreaked such havoc on the Haitian community, saying: “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do." He has since falsely claimed that the murder rate is rising in Springfield, implying it is due to Haitians; in fact, the murder rate peaked under Trump and no Haitian immigrant in Springfield has ever been charged with homicide.
