Leaders of a Haitian nonprofit organization in Springfield, Ohio, are calling for the arrest of former President Donald Trump and his Republican ally, Senator JD Vance, for spreading false claims that Haitian migrants are “eating cats, dogs, and pets” in the area.
According to The Huffington Post, Guerline Jozef, co-founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, filed an affidavit accusing Trump and Vance of violating multiple criminal laws, including disrupting public services, making false alarms, aggravated menacing, telecommunications harassment, and complicity.
In Ohio, private citizens can file affidavits that trigger a legal review to determine whether a crime has likely occurred. Subodh Chandra, the lead attorney for Jozef, told HuffPost that the group is "tired of waiting for the prosecutor to act to uphold the rule of law and protect the community."
Chandra emphasized that Trump and Vance are fully aware of the consequences of their words when they spread falsehoods about Haitian immigrants, calling their behavior “unapologetic serial criminal activity.”
"They know the power of their platform and the damage it can cause, yet they continue to spread these lies," Chandra said. "This isn't a mistake—it's deliberate and dangerous."
Steven Cheung, communications director for Trump’s campaign, defended the former president, stating, "President Trump is rightfully calling attention to the broken immigration system under Kamala Harris, which has allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to flood communities like Springfield."
With the affidavit now submitted, the Haitian Bridge Alliance is asking the court to determine if there is enough probable cause to move forward with charges against Trump and Vance. They are requesting that the judge either issue arrest warrants or refer the case to the prosecutor’s office for further investigation.
“HBA is non-partisan, and this isn’t about one candidate or party,” Jozef said in a statement. “This is about confronting white supremacy, anti-Black rhetoric, and hate speech that continue to cause harm. No one is above the law.”