The city of Springfield, Ohio has filed a federal lawsuit against the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe, accusing its members of harassment, death threats, and racist intimidation against residents who supported the city’s growing Haitian community.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in a U.S. District Court in Dayton, names Blood Tribe leaders Christopher Pohlhaus and Drake Berentz, along with several unnamed followers, for allegedly inciting a hate-fueled campaign against the town.
Springfield, a city of around 60,000 residents, has seen an increase in its Haitian immigrant population, which now numbers nearly 10,000 individuals. Many Haitians have sought refuge there due to the ongoing violence in their homeland.
Tensions escalated in 2023, after a tragic accident involving a Haitian immigrant driver colliding with a school bus, resulting in a child’s death. The incident fueled racial hostility, worsened by false accusations that Haitian migrants were abducting and eating pets—a claim widely circulated online.
The situation took a national turn when Trump repeated these false claims during a September 2023 presidential debate against Democratic rival Kamala Harris, drawing worldwide attention to the city.
According to the lawsuit, Blood Tribe members:
- Sent bomb threats and death threats to Springfield residents who defended the Haitian community
- Showed up armed at the city’s Jazz and Blues Festival in August, waving swastika flags and chanting Nazi slogans
- Stormed City Hall, where Berentz led a racist and antisemitic rant, while followers performed Nazi salutes and chanted “Sieg Heil”
The city claims the group framed the Haitian migration as an “invasion” and promoted the idea that it threatened Springfield’s “good White residents.”
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and other city officials are demanding the court stop the Blood Tribe from making further threats and have requested a jury trial.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a nonprofit focused on combating antisemitism and extremism, has provided legal support for the case.
The lawsuit paints a grim picture of how online misinformation and hate groups can fuel real-world violence and division. As the case moves forward, it could set a precedent for how cities respond to racist extremism and domestic terrorism targeting immigrant communities.
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