Local and state leaders are taking a stand against Haitian discrimination.

It's an issue they are seeing a concerning rise in.

Members of the Haitian American community in Westchester County tell News 12 they have faced discrimination and challenges in the past.

However, they say that has been amplified following the presidential debate in early September. That's when former President Donald Trump made unverified claims that Haitians are eating people's pets in Ohio.

"We're being targeted, we're being discriminated against. It's like a whole cycle again," says Christine Fils-Aime, who works in the office of Senator Shelley Mayer.

Lawmakers at both the city and state level are calling for the discrimination and hate to end.

"This rhetoric, there is no place for it in our culture, in our community and in our world," says Joel Polo Jr., who is the senior pastor at Ebenezer Church of God in Yonkers.

The New York State Attorney General's office is trying to combat the issue especially on social media. Officials with the department are encouraging anyone who comes across hateful posts or pages to contact them and report it.