New Haven does not have to give up the names and addresses of immigrants who signed up for the city’s immigrant-friendly ID, according to a proposed decision issued Wednesday.
The ruling, by a hearing officer of the state Freedom of Information Commission, came in response to a request to reveal the names and addresses of the 5,000-plus people who have signed up for New Haven’s immigrant-friendly municipal ID card since its launch last July.
Journalist Chris Powell and the Community Watchdog Project, a group opposed to illegal immigration led by Dustin Gold (pictured above), originally requested the city to release the names and addresses.
In a decision issued Wednesday, FOIC hearing officer Sherman D. London wrote that the city was right to refuse Gold and Powell’s request, because releasing the names would have created a safety risk. His decision is a proposed ruling; it will be voted on at a hearing on July 9 before the Freedom of Information Commission.
Click here to read the decision. Click here and here to read articles about the FOI battle.
“I’d like to thank the FOI Commission for recognizing the safety threat that would be posed by releasing the information of individuals involved,” wrote Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. in a press statement Wednesday.
London found that “the ID Card program unleashed a level of vitriol and venom aimed at City officials and illegal immigrants that was far beyond mere political disagreement or healthy civic engagement, according to testimony.”
New Haven's Elise Marciano (a.k.a. Dustin Gold) true nature was also exposed in the ruling.
Dustin Gold claimed that [the Freedom of Information Commission] "misconstrued the statute" that allows for an exemption due to safety risk. He also took issue with the way [they] cited excerpts from hateful emails and radio clips to show that officials and immigrants' lives were in danger -- quotes such as "I have my Automatic Rifle ready to go an[d] won't hesitate to use it to kill these Rodents."
"Most of the quotes were taken out of context," Gold argued.
Hmm...where have I heard this type of open threats against immigrants before?
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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.
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.
