Haitian community denounces ‘racist remarks’ made by Trump, Vance

Haitian American community leaders, faith organizations, neighbors and County Legislators Carrié Solages and Siela Bynoe condemned racist, false and dangerous remarks made by former President Donald Trump, Senators J.D. Vance and Ted Cruz during a news conference held on Sept. 12.

Last week, Trump and Vance accused Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, of eating and abducting pets. There has been no evidence of Haitian immigrants in Ohio doing that, officials said. The inflammatory allegations have sparked outrage throughout the Haitian community.

The gathering last week called on all elected officials to “reject hate speech and stand in solidarity with the Haitian community.” Residents stressed the urgency of condemning these false narratives, which fuel dangerous, racially motivated conspiracy theories.

“These comments are not just lies, they are dangerous and rooted in racism,” Solages, the first Haitian American elected to the Nassau County Legislature said. “Haitian immigrants deserve better than to be the target of xenophobic attacks.

Our community is diverse, resilient and deserving of respect. Elected officials must act now to denounce these baseless and offensive claims.”

Bynoe, who represents a sizable Hiaitain American constituency in New Cassel and Uniondale emphasized the importance of speaking out against these conspiracies.

“This is not the first time we’ve seen hateful rhetoric targeting vulnerable communities, and it won’t be the last unless leaders take a stand,” she said. “These comments are dangerous, and silence only emboldens hate. We demand that our elected officials, regardless of party, speak up and denounce these baseless attacks on Haitian immigrants. The people of Nassau County deserve leadership that values truth, unity and respect — not division and fear.”

Leaders from prominent Haitian American organizations including the Elmont Cultural Center, Haitian American Family of Long Island and New York Friends of Haiti joined the legislators in calling for others to speak out against this hateful rhetoric. They all pledged to continue advocating for Haitian immigrants and holding elected officials accountable.

“I’m not upset because I’m personally hurt — I’m upset for the young people we’ve been working with, who deserve to feel proud of their heritage,” Mimi Pierre-Johnson, founder of the Elmont Cultural Center, said.

She encouraged Haitian Americans and immigrants who are afraid to not be scared. “We are the descendants of revolutionaries who freed the first Black nation, and we will always stand up to defend our community and support all nations,” she said.

Mimose Valbrun, a licensed master social worker with Haitian American Families of Long Island, said that the impact of these false allegations will be “profound.”

“These hateful remarks will lead to bullying and name-calling in schools, and that harm will ripple through our community,” Valbrun said. “It’s critical that these false statements are retracted, for the sake of our children’s well-being and their future.”