Donald Trump and JD Vance receive sentence from Ohio judges

In response to a criminal complaint filed by a nonprofit organization, an Ohio judicial panel decided Saturday not to issue arrest warrants for former President Donald Trump and his Vice President JD Vance after they made false claims about the consumption of pets by Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio , had spread.

During his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, last month, Trump, the Republican nominee, repeated the claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield were “eating the pets.” Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, also spread the false claim. Meanwhile, ABC News anchor David Muir grilled Trump during the Sept. 10 debate, and Springfield authorities have repeatedly denied such claims.

These false claims have threatened the safety of not only Springfield's Haitian community, but the entire city. The false claims led to bomb threats in Springfield that led to the closure of schools and city buildings.

Amid the fallout, a nonprofit organization called the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), which advocates for fair and humane immigration policies, filed a criminal complaint against Trump and Vance, but on Saturday the Clark County Municipal Court announced they had found no probable cause to do so found to have issued arrest warrants or misdemeanor summonses, as requested by the Haitian group.

However, the court referred the case to the district attorneys.

“The conclusion as to whether the evidence and causality necessary to establish probable cause to initiate prosecution of the alleged offenses is best left to the investigative hands of the prosecution,” the justices wrote in their decision.

The HBA case faces charges of inciting panic, disrupting public services, making a false alarm, two counts of complicity, two counts of telecommunications harassment and aggravated menacing.

The justices reviewing the case said that special consideration should be given to “the strong constitutional protections of speech and particularly political speech,” adding that because of the proximity of the election and the “contentious” nature of the immigration issue, “The court “It cannot automatically be assumed that the affidavits are bona fide.”

Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director, told the Associated Press that the former president “is right to highlight the failed immigration system that (Vice President) Kamala Harris oversaw and allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to pour into communities like Springfield and many others across the country.” “

Trump and other Republicans have accused Harris of failing to address immigration and border security as vice president, calling her President Joe Biden's “border czar.” At the time, Biden tapped Harris to lead the administration's diplomacy with Central American countries – El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – to address the “root causes” of migration. However, she was never responsible for border security.

Newsweek emailed Cheung, Vance's office and the Haitian Bridge Alliance for comment Saturday afternoon.

In an updated filing, the HBA says that “Trump and Vance's refusal to stop spreading false claims, despite the severe chaos they caused and the requests of the governor and mayor, underscores their criminal intent in spreading these lies.” The chaos caused was the purpose, and the First Amendment provides no protection for this campaign of criminal conduct.”

Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and Springfield Republican Mayor Rob Rue have also dismissed claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield.

About 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian immigrants have arrived in Springfield in recent years, many of them recruited for local jobs and given “temporary protected status” to remain legally in the United States.

Illegal immigration is a hot topic, particularly among Republicans, as illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have increased sharply in recent years. However, the number of encounters with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has dropped dramatically from December, with over 300,000 encounters, to August, with over 100,000 encounters.

Republicans hold the Biden-Harris administration largely responsible for the situation at the southern border, as illegal border crossings have increased significantly under Biden. However, the final months of Trump's term also saw an increase in border crossings after the COVID-19 pandemic reached a low point.

“It is critical to encourage discussions on sensitive issues, particularly those related to immigration, with a commitment to truth and integrity,” Springfield officials said Saturday in a statement announcing the Clark County Municipal’s decision Court announced.

City officials also said in the statement that they are “committed to promoting constructive dialogue and transparently addressing community concerns,” adding that “the safety and well-being of all residents, including the Haitian immigrant community, remains a top priority.” .”