Brooklyn healthcare workers stand with Haitian immigrants, denounce Trump’s ‘pet eating’ claims

Hours before former President Donald Trump was set to take the stage at a campaign rally in Uniondale on Long Island on Wednesday, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the nation’s largest healthcare union, held rallies at Brooklyn’s Interfaith Medical Center in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Maimonides Medical Center in Borough Park. The rallies condemned Trump’s recent racist attacks and hateful rhetoric against Haitians.

During a Sept. 10 presidential debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump claimed, “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They are eating the pets of the people that live there.”

Although Trump didn’t specify the ethnicity of the migrants during the debate, his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, falsely claimed on social media a day earlier that Haitian immigrants were abducting pets and wildlife in Springfield. Since the debate, Trump and Vance have doubled down on their conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants steal and eat pets — claims Ohio officials have debunked.

In an interview with Martha Raddatz of ABC News on Sunday, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine called the claims “garbage.” When asked if he had seen any evidence of Haitian immigrants eating pets, he said, “No, absolutely not. That’s what the mayor said; that’s what the chief of police has said. I think it’s unfortunate that this came up.”

At the rally at Maimonides Medical Center, 1199SEIU healthcare workers stood in solidarity with their Haitian coworkers, condemning Trump’s rhetoric.

Rally-goers rejected Trump’s politics of hate and division, with some comparing it to his remarks during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he referred to the virus as the “China Virus,” fueling anti-Asian hate crimes.

1199SEIU member Balthazar Fortune rallied against former President Trump’s anti-Haitian rhetoric.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

“This is the same knucklehead that was talking about the China Virus, right, and resulting in many of our folks in the Asian community being abused [and] assaulted. Words have meaning,” Thomas McIntyre said.

Allison Sylvestre, a certified surgical technologist at Maimonides Medical Center and an 1199SEIU delegate, attended the rally because her children are part Haitian, and she was concerned for their safety. Sylvestre said she was shocked and at a loss for words when she heard the unfounded claims Trump and his running mate were promoting.

“Then when I saw the news about how the people in the neighborhood, they’re scared of bringing their children to school and going out to places, I was actually concerned,” Sylvestre told Brooklyn Paper.

Sylvestre had a message for those buying into Trump’s false narrative: “We are all in this together. We are actually together as one, and the only thing that separates us is the skin color. But if you cut our skin, it is the same blood flowing. We should lead in love for one another. That is something that doesn’t cost $1. Not a dime.”

Protesters gather in front of Maimonides Medical Center, demanding an end to hate speech and false narratives.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Marie Barolette, a Haitian American, fervently denounced the GOP presidential ticket’s claim that Haitians eat dogs and cats, emphasizing that Haitian immigrants are hard-working and respectful people.

“I don’t know where he got that from. Because that’s very painful the way he talks about Haitian people,” said Varolette, who owns a dog and a cat. “We never eat dogs and cats. We treat them like human beings. They are like my babies.”

Abiola Benjamin, an 1199SEIU delegate, called Trump’s remarks “below the belt” and expressed concern for Haitian public school students in Springfield who were being bullied because of Trump’s and Vance’s false claims.

“How do you as a person sleep at night knowing that you put this narrative out in the world?” Benjamin asked. “There are children going to school [and] this is another way of bullying, and they have too many children, as it is, killing themselves due to bullying.”

In New York State, thousands of 1199SEIU members are of Haitian descent and are considered the “backbone” of the state’s healthcare system, rally-goers said.

In a statement, George Gresham, president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, strongly condemned the “vicious, racist attacks by Donald Trump and JD Vance.”

“1199SEIU is proud to have many thousands of members who belong to the Haitian diaspora. The contributions of Haitians to the field of healthcare and to our labor movement are extraordinary,” Gresham wrote. “We deeply value the richness of culture, language, and fortitude that Haitian communities add to the diversity of our nation.”

Former President Donald Trump made controversial claims about Haitian immigrants during the presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris on Sept. 10, sparking backlash and protests.REUTERS/Brian Snyder

NYC Commissioner Manuel Castro of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) also weighed in, condemning the “racist and xenophobic” narrative about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.

“Lies like this are intended to divide us. They stoke fear and put our Haitian neighbors in danger,” he wrote in a statement. “Haitian New Yorkers contribute every day to the vibrancy and strength of our City. We stand in solidarity with all Haitian-serving organizations here in New York City and across the country and demand that this narrative be removed from all social media platforms. MOIA will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that every Haitian in our community feels supported and valued, today and always.”

According to the City of Springfield, between 12,000 and 15,000 immigrants, mostly from Haiti, call Springfield home. The majority of Haitian immigrants arrive in the United States under Temporary Protected Status, fleeing political unrest, gang violence, natural disasters and poverty.

At least 33 bomb threats have been made in Springfield since Trump and Vance made their claims, forcing the evacuation of schools and municipal buildings. Haitians now fear for their safety and that of their children.

Mia Perez, a Haitian immigration lawyer in Springfield, told the Associated Press that her 9-year-old daughter was asked about Haitians stealing and eating pets at school.

Rally-goers held signs and flags in support of their colleagues, and the Haitian community.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

“Kids in school are being asked by other kids: ‘How does the dog taste? How does the cat taste?’” Perez said.

Johnson Salomon, a Haitian immigrant who moved to Springfield in 2020, told The Guardian that Haitians are staying away from their usual places.

“Normally, when I drive through south Springfield, where a lot of Haitians live, you see people walking on the streets, at the Haitian markets and restaurants,” Salomon said. “For the past few days, I have seen far fewer people.”

At his rally Wednesday evening, Trump didn’t directly say that Haitian immigrants were killing and eating pets. However, he told the crowd he would visit Springfield in the next two weeks.

“You may never see me again, but that’s okay. I got to do what I got to do. ‘Whatever happened to Trump? Well, he never got out of Springfield,’” Trump said.