I read in the New Times this morning (March 25) about the Danbury 11. I wish to commend the Danbury Police for doing an outstanding job of trying to enforce the federal immigration laws keep up the good work.
NEWSFLASH: That's why Mayor Boughton, Chief Baker, and the city of Danbury are in the middle of a civil lawsuit right now. At the time of the raid at Kennedy Park, local law enforcement did not have authorization from the federal government to enforce immigration law.
Misinformed letters like this only reinforces the notion that people need to keep their local elected officials accountable for consistently misleading the public with their anti-immigrant rhetoric.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
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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.