Haitian community members and leaders protested former President Donald Trump’s visit to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, following his claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages, the first Haitian American elected to the Nassau County Legislature, joined a coalition of Haitian Americans on Wednesday to condemn remarks made by Trump, his vice presidential running mate J.D. Vance and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. The protest occurred four hours before Trump took the stage inside the coliseum and addressed over 16,000 people. The protesters raised awareness of the harmful impact of these false claims.

The coalition called for stronger protections for Haitian individuals across the United States and demanded accountability and action from leaders at all levels of government. They also urged President Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and local, state, and municipal leaders to take all necessary measures to protect Haitians from physical harm.

The group requested that Biden and Congress formally recognize anti-Haitian rhetoric and actions as hate speech, which would grant Haitian Americans civil rights protections under existing hate crime legislation. This would ensure that Haitian communities have access to legal remedies when targeted by racially motivated violence, discrimination, or hate speech.

The coalition is also urging governors of states with significant Haitian populations, such as Ohio, to allocate emergency funding for culturally competent mental health services tailored to Haitian communities.

“We demand a formal apology from the Trump campaign as well as a restatement of the true facts,” Solages said in a press release ahead of the Wednesday protest. “We will not tolerate dehumanizing lies about our community.”

The protest occurred about a week after local Haitian American organizations and Nassau County leaders gathered at Bethany French Baptist Church in Elmont to condemn the remarks made by former Trump and the senators. The gathering called on all elected officials to reject hate speech and stand in solidarity with the Haitian community. The local Haitian community stressed the urgency of condemning these false narratives, which they said fuel dangerous, racially motivated conspiracy theories.

Solages delivered a statement also deploring the silence of many elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY4), who represents more than 32,000 Haitian Americans in Congress.

“These comments are not just lies, they are dangerous and rooted in racism,” Solages said. “Haitian immigrants and Haitian Americans deserve better than to be the target of xenophobic attacks. Continued silence from local Republicans like Rep. D’Esposito is nothing short of a dereliction of duty to the very community he represents.”

Solanges added, “It’s time for him to stop putting his head in the sand for political gain and stand with the people of this district, many of whom are Haitian immigrants. His silence speaks volumes about his priorities, and it’s clear they do not lie with the people of Nassau County.”

D’Esposito has yet to make a statement on the comments by Trump and fellow Republican Sens. Cruz and Vance.

The rally also featured leaders from prominent Haitian American organizations, including the Elmont Cultural Center, Haitian American Family of Long Island and New York Friends of Haiti. Together, they pledged to continue advocating for Haitian immigrants and holding elected officials accountable.