Former US President Trump reiterates claims of Haitian immigrants eating pets

MIAMI,  CMC – Former United States President Donald J. Trump continues to double down on claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating their neighbours’ pets, such as dogs and cats. 

At a Univision town hall in Florida on Wednesday, President Trump, the Republic Party’s nominee for the US Presidential Elections on November 5, refused to disavow the narrative about the Haitian immigrants.  

“All I do is report,” said Trump in responding to a question about the issue, stating that he was “saying what was reported.”

Without providence evidence, he added that the Haitian immigrants are also “eating other things, too, that they’re not supposed to be.”

The former president said he plans to soon visit Springfield during his presidential campaign. 

“I’m going to be there, and we’re going to take a look,” he said. “And I’ll give you a full report when I do.”

Earlier this month, a Haitian group in Springfield filed criminal charges against Trump and his Republican running mate JD Vance stemming from what the group describes as “baseless and malicious comments” made by both men about Haitian immigrants eating pets.  

The Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) – a grassroots nonprofit community organisation that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal and social services, with a particular focus on Black people, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses – said that it has filed the criminal charges in a municipal court in Springfield. 

HBA said that, in recent weeks, both Trump and Vance “led an effort to vilify and threaten the Haitian community in Springfield. 

“Together, they spread and amplified the debunked claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating pets, including cats, dogs and wildlife,” it said. 

HBA said the criminal charge asks the court “to affirm probable cause that Trump and Vance committed multiple crimes and issue arrest warrants against Trump and Vance.” 

HBA said it is represented by Ohio-based civil rights attorney Subodh Chandra, who successfully represented Tamir Rice’s family in a case against Ohio police for shooting and killing their son. 

“HBA filed this criminal charge to hold Trump and Vance accountable for the devastating harm they caused our community in Springfield and has impacted Haitians around the United States,” said Guerline Jozef, HBA’s executive director.  

HBA said that, in recent weeks, at least 33 bomb threats have been alleged across Springfield, and that hospitals, schools, universities and government offices were all evacuated after receiving racially-charged threats. 

The non-profit group said Springfield government officials and their families have also received threats. 

“Trump and Vance’s lies have harmed the Springfield community, and their lies have violated criminal law,” HBA said. “HBA is non-partisan, this is not about one candidate or political party. 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.”

Erik Crew, HBA’s staff attorney, said that Trump’s and Vance’s statements are “the same old anti-Black playbook that we’ve seen for hundreds of years in Ohio being rolled out to divide and create hate, especially around election times.

Steven Cheung, the communications director for the Trump-Vance campaign, said that Trump is “rightfully highlighting the failed immigration system that Kamala Harris has overseen, bringing thousands of illegal immigrants pouring into communities like Springfield and many others across the country.”

In his first and only Presidential Debate last month – with his Democratic challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are “eating the pets of the people that live there.”

But Ohio Republic Gov. Mike DeWine has rejected Trump’s claim as “garbage.”

Trump has also said that he would rescind and deport, if re-elected on November 5, Haitians immigrants in Springfield, who have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to remain in the United States.  

“You have to remove the people, and you have to bring them back to their own country,” Trump told NewsNation. “They are, in my opinion, it’s not legal. 

“Absolutely. I’d revoke it, and I’d bring them back to their country,” he added, referring to TPS, when asked about its possible revocation, if he’s re-elected.

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