The Miami Heat made a “hateful speech” on Monday aIt was directed against Haitian immigrantswho was targeted with baseless claims They steal and eat pets in Ohio.
False allegations made by former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have led to bomb threats and other threatening actions against residents of Springfield, Ohio.
“The false narrative surrounding them is hurtful and offensive and has unfortunately made innocent people the target of hate speech and physical threats.” it said in a statement on Monday.
Miami-Dade County, Florida, has one of the largest concentrations of Haitians. About 3.7% of the county’s 2.7 million residents are Haitians, who make up about 2.4% of the state’s population.
“Our Haitian employees, fans and friends deserve better,” Heat added.
There were several schools and a town hall Closed in Springfield after threats were called into the Ohio community last week.
The threats came after wild and completely unfounded claims of Haitian immigrants stealing and eating their pets. He won lies power last week, With Tump and Vance spreading fringe, far-right tales.
Appearing on NBC and CNN on Sunday, Vance refused to apologize for spreading the lies. Active CNN’s “State of the Union” He said he was not shy about “creating a narrative” that would focus on immigration. Immigrant advocates have condemned the false allegations.
“Lies and conspiracies about Haitians are part of a larger anti-immigrant and dehumanizing rhetoric that actively courts political violence,” said Vanessa Cardenas, executive director of the immigration advocacy group Voice of America.
Sophia Pierrelus, an Ohio immigration attorney from Port-au-Prince, said her adult son in nearby Columbus was molested.
“People asked him if he ate cats and dogs. “They hear Trump’s message.”