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New Haven mayor tackles illegal immigration issue with common sense

Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Time: 1:15 PM

Finally, a mayor who looking at the illegal immigration issue with common sense rather than using brass tactics and offering backdoor crackdowns proposals disguised as programs that go after car owners that skip paying property taxes.

New Haven's Mayor John DeStefano received a visit earlier this week from members of Unidad Latina Accion, a grassroots immigrants rights group based in New Haven. Recently, Mayor DeStefano announced that police will have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy with regards to immigrants who call for assistance. This policy DOES NOT apply to undocumented residents who are being investigated for criminal activity.

For over a year, Unidad Latina en Accion and other immigrants rights groups had pressured Mayor DeStefano to pass a "don't ask, don't tell" policy with regards to immigration status. The policy, which was finally unveiled on December 14, forbids police officers from inquiring about a person's immigration status unless they're investigating criminal activity. Now, undocumented residents of New Haven can finally report crimes and cooperate in police investigations without fear that they might be reported to the federal immigration service.

The reason this makes sense is pretty clear. People, regardless of their immigration status, should not be afraid to call in a crime.

Too many times in this area, crimes go unreported for fear of deportation and this does no one any good. Regardless of a person's status, one should not be afraid to call the police if they've been a victim of a crime...period. Unfortunately, due to the tactics of the mayor, many crimes among undocumented residents are going unreported and people live in constant fear of the police.

Unlike Danbury, it seems like New Haven is making the first step in the right direction to let the people in the community know that they don't have live in the shadows for fear of deportation (which can only be done on the federal level).

Here's the report filed by WTNH. To get a better understanding of how immigration advocates around the state feel about the city of Danbury and the current mayor, listen to the comments in this piece.

UPDATE: The New Haven Independent was on the scene and filed this report.

posted by ctblogger at 1:15 PM

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INDEPENDENT PARTY OF DANBNRY
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CITY OF DANBURY VIDEO ARCHIVE (Dec 2012-present)

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10.03.18 (PDF):
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10.30.20 (HatCityBLOG VID): Charter School discussion during 2020 interview with Julie Kushner

2018 (RADIO): WLAD
"State Board of Ed signs off on Danbury charter school proposal"

08.20 (VID): CT-LEAD
"Stand up for Education Justice" Rally

08.20.20 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Charter schools are not ‘magic bullet’ to improving Danbury schools"

09.13.20 (OP-ED): CHAPMAN
Candidate for state Senate supports charter school for Danbury

01.15.21 (VID): CT-LEAD
Danbury Prospect Charter School press conference

03.19.21 (OP-ED): CT MIRROR
"Danbury leaders do not want a charter school"

04.01.21 (OP-ED): CT-LEAD:
"Why did Sen. Kushner vote against us?"

05.06.21 (VID): Danbury rally to fully fund public schools

10.07.21 (VID): Danbury City-Wide PTO "Meet the Candidates" education forum

10.07.21 NEWSTIMES
Danbury candidates quarrel over charter school, education funding

01.10.22 NEWSTIMES
"New operator named for Danbury charter school: ‘I’m a huge advocate for parent choice’"

01.10.22 NEWSTIMES
"Some Danbury Democrats ‘open minded’ about charter school after new, CT operator named"

01.21.22 (OP-ED): CT MIRROR
"Lessons from Danbury: Ending the dual process for charter school approval"

02.09.22 NEWSTIMES
"Proposed Danbury charter school won’t open in 2022, governor leaves funding out of budget"

02.18.22 NEWSTIMES:
Danbury residents plead for charter school funds in 9-hour state budget hearing: ‘Just exhausted’

03.05.22 (LTE):
Time has come for Danbury charter school

03.12.22 (OP-ED): TAYLOR
"Why I am excited about the Danbury Charter School"

03.16.22 (LTE):
"Why a Danbury Charter School?"

04.02.22 CT EXAMINER:
"Crowding and a Lack of Options for Danbury Students, But No Agreement on Solutions"

04.04.22 (OP-ED): DCS
"Danbury Charter School plans debut"

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Protest press conference

04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU
Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school

06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER:
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On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.

The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.

Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.

Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.

CLICK HERE TO READ/DOWNLOAD MAYOR BOUGHTON'S DEPOSITION

CLICK HERE TO READ/DOWNLOAD MIKE McLACHLAN (then MAYOR CHIEF OF STAFF) DEPOSITION

Danbury Area Coalition for the Rights of Immigrants v.
U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
3:06-cv-01992-RNC ( D. Conn. )

(02.25.08) Court docket

(10.24.07) Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant's Emergency Motion for Protective Order

(09.26.07) Press Release

(12.14.06) Complaint

Barrera v. Boughton, No. 07-01436
(D. Conn. filed Sept. 26, 2007)

(02.25.08) Court Docket

Amended complaint

Defendants' Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction