Haitian Community Seeks Criminal Charges Against Trump, Vance for Fearmongering
Springfield, Ohio might be a relatively small town, but out of its roughly 60,000 residents, about 15,000 of them are Haitian immigrants. Unfortunately, this past summer, Springfield’s Haitian population was put through a lot of turmoil from some whacky social media posts. Former president Donald Trump and his vice presidential running mate, JD Vance, did a lot to fuel the fire. Now, the Haitian community is trying to hold them accountable.
Duck, Dog, Goose
The trouble began in early August, when users on the far-right social media platform Gab started spreading a rumor that Haitian immigrants were eating local pets. This rumor was amplified by a September 6 post on X by the account @EndWokeness, later linked to Springfield resident Erika Lee. Her Tweet alleged that Haitians in Springfield were butchering and eating ducks, geese, dogs, and cats. The post included a photograph of a Black man carrying what appeared to be a dead goose, which quickly went viral, receiving over 4.9 million views. Lee later admitted she had no firsthand knowledge of the claims and had heard them secondhand.
The situation escalated a couple of days later when white-extremist commentator Charlie Kirk shared the same post, along with a news article titled "Biden Floods Ohio Town With 20,000 Haitian Migrants: Ten To A Bedroom." This garnered over 4 million views and further inflamed tensions.
The photo Kirk (and Lee) shared was later found to be from a July Reddit post. The photo was taken in Columbus, Ohio, a 45-minute drive from Springfield. The man pictured is removing dead geese who had been hit by a car from the road.
There is no actual evidence that the man is Haitian, or that he was planning to eat them. But for the record, even if he was, that's perfectly legal in Ohio, and the majority of states.
Running Mates Spread Rumors
On September 9, Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance further amplified the false claims on his X account, similarly alleging that Haitian immigrants were causing chaos in Springfield and abducting and eating pets. Springfield officials, including Mayor Rob Rue and City Manager Bryan Heck, publicly debunked these claims, but even after that, Vance continued to spread the misinformation. And to nobody’s surprise, it wasn’t long before Vance’s running mate joined in.
On September 10, during a presidential debate, Donald Trump repeated the false allegations, leading to a heated exchange with moderator David Muir, who cited Springfield officials refuting the claims. Following Trump's debate comments, he posted on his own platform, Truth Social, sharing videos and documents purportedly supporting his claims.
Fake News, Real Consequences
Despite further denials from Springfield officials and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Trump and Vance persisted in their narrative. The false claims led to a series of bomb threats in Springfield, causing evacuations of schools, hospitals, and government buildings. By September 16, the city had received at least 33 bomb threats.
Vance and Trump continued to spread the false narrative through social media posts and public statements, despite mounting evidence and official denials. Their actions have caused significant distress and disruption in Springfield, with Haitian immigrants facing increased hostility and fear for their safety. Governor DeWine and Mayor Rue have repeatedly called for an end to the misinformation, emphasizing the harm it has caused to the community. Despite these appeals, Trump announced plans to visit Springfield, further escalating tensions.
Haitian Community Fights Back
How did the Haitian community take it? About as well as you’d think.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance is a national grassroots nonprofit that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies. It provides migrants from the Haitian community with humanitarian, legal, and social services. It collaborates with Black migrant communities throughout the United States and progressive coalitions fighting anti-Blackness, advocating for fair and just immigration policies locally, nationally, and internationally.
Guerline Jozef is the Alliance’s co-founder and executive director, and she and her organization decided to take the Springfield matters into their own hands – or at least into the hands of a judge. Representing the community members of the Alliance, Jozef filed a lawsuit against Trump and Vance.
Criminal Complaint
Jozef alleges multiple violations of Ohio criminal statutes and Springfield codified ordinances. She is not suing in a civil context, but rather is filing criminal charges under provisions of Ohio code which allow private citizens to file affidavits charging criminal offenses.
A few specific charges she is bringing include: “disrupting public services,” alleging that Trump and Vance's false statements led to multiple bomb threats and significant disruptions to public services in Springfield, Ohio; “making false alarms,” alleging that Trump and Vance knowingly circulated false reports about the Haitian community, causing public alarm and inconvenience; “aggravated menacing,” alleging that Trump and Vance's statements caused members of the Haitian community to fear for their safety and property. There are others.
What to Expect
Jozef is requesting that the court make independent findings of probable cause based on the facts presented and issue arrest warrants for Trump and Vance. The legal theory hinges on the argument that Trump and Vance's actions meet the low threshold for probable cause required for these criminal charges, given the substantial evidence and public statements corroborating the allegations.
Jozef is asking the court to make independent findings of probable cause based on the facts presented in the affidavit. Based on that probable cause, she is also requesting that the court issue arrest warrants for Trump and Vance, or refer the matter to the prosecuting attorney for investigation.
Trump's people have declined requests for comment. The former president’s sentence from his last criminal convictions were delayed by a New York judge until after the election. Will this be any different?
Related Resources:
- 3 Election Day Laws to Know (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- When Does Gossip Cross the Legal Line? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Why a Conviction Is Not the End of Trump's Hush Money Payment Trial (FindLaw's Courtside)