A court in Ohio rejected a request from a Haitian group to issue arrest warrants for Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (OH) over comments they made about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
A panel of judges referred the request from the Haitian Bridge Alliance to county prosecutors for further investigation but found no probable cause for any charges at this time.
The group claimed threats were made against migrants after Trump and Vance made comments about migrants in Springfield eating dogs and cats of residents as well as other "pets" in response to allegations on Facebook that migrants were decapitating and eating ducks from a pond in the area.
Another resident said he saw a cat hanging at the home of a migrant neighbor, carved up in preparation to be eaten, after his friend's cat went missing.
Police in Springfield said they had heard the rumors but that no formal complaints had been made to them about migrants eating ducks or people's pets.
Around 20,000 migrants have been transported to Springfield, which has a population of about 60,000, during President Joe Biden's tenure after being processed at the U.S. border.
Residents have complained that city resources have been stressed by the influx.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance wants charges of felony inducing panic, disrupting public services, making false alarms, two counts of complicity, two counts of telecommunications harassment and aggravated menacing.
Charges could still be filed against Trump and Vance if investigators find any cause to do so.
The judges said that “particular consideration should be given to ‘the strong constitutional protections afforded to speech, and political speech in particular,'” adding that due to the presidential election being “less than 35 days away,” the topic of immigration was “contentious.”
“Due to the proximity of the election, and the contentiousness concerning the immigration policies of both candidates, the Court cannot presume the good faith nature of the affidavits,” the judges wrote.
While Trump still faces dozens of criminal charges, it would be the first time Vance was charged with a crime since he became a candidate for office.
No charges were recommended against the Biden administration or any of its members for violating border laws in allowing such a large number of migrants to enter the country and remain in the U.S.
Such is the state of justice in the country that people who are actually violating laws are getting away with it, while those that merely comment on the situation could end up in court over their words.
