A member of CityCenter's Board of Commissioners resigned this week over concerns about how the organization handled the city's partnership with federal immigration officials.
Maria Evans, a representative of the Brazilian community on the board, said she submitted her resignation after the organization refused to take a more active role in the controversy.
[...]
"CityCenter could have made a big difference," said Evans. "They should have done something to show the city that we are concerned about the impacts to businesses."
Immigrant business owners said fear over the partnership, which is perceived by some in the community as a potential "witch hunt," is causing people to leave the area and could result in empty storefronts as businesses close their doors.
"I had a client who was going to come in today for a mortgage adjustment who said she is afraid to come to downtown Danbury," said Evans, a real estate broker. "I've considered closing up and moving my office to Bridgeport."
They're afraid...and they have every right to be. Because of an arrogant, inconsiderate, irrational political system in Danbury, Boughton and Co. went about with this unnecessary partnership without ANY CONSIDERATION of the impact this would have on the immigrant community and Danbury in general.
For the exception of ONE Common Council member, no one, Democrat or Republican, bothered to reach out to the immigrant community and have a dialog. Hell, I'd bet the house that many members never set foot in the community or seeked the opinions of those that would be most severally impacted by this needless legislation. NO, instead they looked at polls and listened to the opinions of the most rabid bunch of bigots in this once great city whil eunder the opinion that the immigrant community would just lay low and take it like that have been doing for the last two years.
Well, Wednesday was their wake-up call and everyone at Deer Hiil Ave. is desperately spinning the story as the backlash they never saw coming is escalating.
The latest spin from the mayor's office is an insult to anyone who has followed this issue from it's conception and given past events, people simply don't trust ONE word that comes out of Boughton's mouth. In other words...he has lost all credibility in a segment of his community that will no longer remain dormant.
The misinformation DIDN'T COME FROM THE MEDIA, it came from an arrogant mayor and Republican leadership that arrogantly went forward with this program without any consideration of the consequences it would have in the area and without ONCE establishing a dialog with the immigrant community...and ALL FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
Remember...THEY WANTED TO PASS THIS PROGRAM back in January when Boughton released his so-called 30-day no info report to the council two days before City Hall would be closed for the New Years and to the public ONE day before the vote. If it wasn't for Paul Rotello drawing a line in the sand, the program would have passed to the delight of the anti-immigrants who are please with any anti-immigrant legislation (regardless of the negative impact) because they HATE IMMIGRANTS. In other words, the mayor and Republicans on the council were prepared to pass this program back in Jan and say the hell with the immigrant community.
It's amazing what 4,000+ people and a slew of negative media can do to you...and wait till you see me interviewed on networks offering MY material to the media that will back up EVERY statement I make.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
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.
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.
