‘Deeply hurt’: Haitian community in Florida responds to Trump’s ugly lies

After former President Donald Trump falsely claimed Haitian immigrants in Ohio were stealing cats and dogs to eat them, the Haitian community in Florida – the nation’s largest – reacted, calling his comments “slanderous” and “harmful.”

During this week’s presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump repeated the baseless rumor that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were stealing dogs and cats so they could eat them, an unwarranted attack that critics denounced as “bigoted” and “vile.” 

“For the last several days, Donald Trump and JD Vance have spread blatantly false and racist conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants,” said Florida Sen. Shevrin Jones. “Although not surprising, these bigoted attacks are vile.” 

But what many Floridians may not know is that one of Trump’s staunchest allies in the Sunshine State has publicly repeated the lie.

During an interview on the Breitbart News Network – a far-right news and commentary website – Republican Senator Rick Scott repeated the unfounded theories and racist lies about the immigrants in Ohio.

“Isn’t that scary for the people who live there?” Scott said on the show. “I don’t know what is going on up there, but it’s pretty scary for the people of Springfield.”

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Trump’s and Scott’s glib embrace of lies have hard hit Florida’s Haitian American population, the nation’s largest.  

“The Haitian people are resilient, hardworking, and have long contributed to the causes of freedom and justice,” Elizabeth Jeanty, Chairwoman of the Haitian American Historical Society, told Floricua. “As a Haitian American, I am deeply hurt by the disregard shown to our people.”

Jeanty also sees troubling implications in Trump’s and other Republican leaders’ propagation of racist lies.

“This remark reflects a broader pattern of racially charged, irresponsible rhetoric aimed at immigrant communities,” said Jeanty. “The damage caused by these remarks affects our children, fuels bullying, and tarnishes the pride we hold as Haitian immigrants and their descendants.”                             

In fact, Haitian residents of Springfield, Ohio, are being threatened and intimidated by racists, according to published reports in the Haitian diaspora. 

Entrenched racism

This isn’t the first time that Haitian immigrants to the US have been targeted with racist, dangerous lies and rumors. 

In the 1980s, Jeanty said, Haitians were wrongfully blamed for bringing AIDS into the United States. In 2020, former President Trump made his infamous remark calling Haiti a “shithole country.” And the derogatory term “boat people” was also used to stigmatize Haitian refugees. Trump’s latest lie, that immigrants are stealing and eating pets, has fueled endless memes mocking Trump, but, Jeanty says it “is not a laughing matter.”

“Our community, like all others, deserves respect and dignity,” she said. 

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Haitian American from South Florida, agrees.

“Haitians and other immigrants come to this country committed to education, hard work and building a better life, not just for themselves but for all of us,” she said in a statement. “They contribute to our economy, enrich our culture, and strengthen our communities. Trump’s comments are a distraction from the real issues we face, and we won’t be fooled.”

Readying the vote

Haitian immigrants are hard workers who take on the backbreaking jobs many don’t want; but they also serve as the heads of private and professional organizations and have made a name for themselves in the fields of education and medicine. Those concentrated in South Florida also fill numerous seats in city and county commissions, the state Legislature, and Congress.                                                                                             

“Our best revenge is to go out and get the votes out,” said Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas, a former president of the Haitian American Democratic Club of Broward County. She added that Trump’s comments have fueled new efforts to achieve that goal.

The state’s Haitian American population, estimated at about 500,000, is the nation’s largest and votes predominantly Democratic.

“It’s time for politicians to stop using Haitian Americans as pawns in their political games,” Jeanty told Floricua. “Whether it is through slanderous accusations or harmful rhetoric, we will no longer tolerate being treated as a tool for electoral gain.”

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