An organization that has received funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations is demanding former President Donald Trump be arrested for his comments regarding viral claims that Haitian migrants in Ohio have eaten house pets.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance filed criminal charges on Tuesday against Trump and his presidential running mate, Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance, according to the Cleveland, Ohio-based Chandra Law Firm, which is representing the organization in court. The group is seeking the arrest of both men, accusing them of making false alarms, disrupting public services, telecommunications harassment and aggravated menacing.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance is invoking an Ohio statute that allows private citizens in the state to file criminal charges, according to the law firm.
“The Haitian community is suffering in fear because of Trump and Vance’s relentless, irresponsible, false alarms, and public services have been disrupted,” Subodh Chandra, lead counsel in the lawsuit, said in a press release. “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,” Chandra continued.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance was among several Haitian and black migrant-oriented groups that received over $1 million in funding from the Open Society Foundations, according to a November 2021 press release. The Open Society Foundations is bankrolled by billionaire liberal activist George Soros, who has used his fortune over the years for various liberal causes and defeating Republicans at the ballot box.
The lawsuit stems from a viral accusation made earlier this month on a local social media page for Springfield, Ohio, residents in which a member claimed a Haitian migrant had been spotted butchering a pet cat for consumption. That claim gained further attention when Trump mentioned it during his presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in,” Trump said during the debate. “They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
The Daily Caller News Foundation visited Springfield and spoke to locals about the national media attention surrounding the town. While no one who spoke with the DCNF could confirm claims of pet-eating, many residents expressed dismayat the sheer number of Haitian migrants entering the relatively small town — with estimates around 15,000 to 20,000 Haitians descending into Springfield in just the last several years, overwhelming a town of fewer than 60,000.
Other residents who spoke with the DCNF placed blame on the Biden-Harris administration and Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine for the massive influx of migrants.
Tuesday’s lawsuit was filed in Ohio’s Clark County Municipal Court.
“President 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,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign spokeswoman, told the DCNF. “President Trump will secure our border and put an end to the chaos that illegal immigration brings to our communities.”
Featured Image Credit: Niccolò Caranti
