Photos: YouTube Screenshots
San Diego, CA – Tuesday, the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) filed criminal charges in a municipal court in Springfield, Ohio against Donald Trump and JD Vance stemming from the baseless and malicious comments made against our Haitian community this month. As HBA alleged to the court, over the last few 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.
The criminal charge asks the court to affirm probable cause that they committed multiple crimes and issue arrest warrants against Trump and Vance. HBA 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.
Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, stated:
“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. Thirty-three bomb threats have been alleged across Springfield within the last two weeks. Hospitals, schools, universities, and government offices were all evacuated after receiving racially charged threats. Springfield government officials and their families received threats. Trump and Vance’s lies have harmed the Springfield community, and their lies have violated criminal law. 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 U.S. politics and that continues to cause suffering. No one is above the law.”
About Haitian Bridge Alliance:
Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), also known as “The Bridge,” is a grassroots community organization 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 migrants, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. HBA also seeks to elevate the issues unique to Black migrants and build solidarity and collective movement toward policy change. Anpil men chay pa lou (“Many hands make the load light”). Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @haitianbridge
