Although the argument may have started with Obama, state Rep. Dan Carter, R-Bethel, who said he is 100 percent in favor of the proposed bill, thinks citizenship verification is something that needs to be looked into.
"I don't care about the political part of it," Carter said. "There's no mechanism in place."
Talk about a rookie mistake. Either the freshman State Rep. is showing that he has a rather large learning curve or he's simply out to lunch.
State Sen. Andrew Roraback:
State Sen. Andrew Roraback, a Republican whose district includes Brookfield, New Milford and Kent, said a candidate's U.S. birth certificate would satisfy the Constitution's requirement.
"I think it's an elementary proposition," he said.
[...]
"This proposition deserves a public hearing," Roraback said, and it will take place in the next two months.
For their part, the lawmakers' local newspaper, the Danbury News-Times, scolded the two lawmakers for going along with McLachlan's insanity.
With all the serious work that needs to be tackled in Hartford, it is disappointing that state Sen. Michael McLachlan, a Danbury Republican, wasted his time sponsoring a frivolous bill.
It also is disappointing that some otherwise sensible legislators are supporting that proposed law.
The item in question is Senate Bill No. 391: "An act concerning qualifications to appear as a candidate for president or vice-president on a ballot in this state."
This has nothing to do with controlling the state's projected $3.5 billion deficit, nothing to do with attracting business to Connecticut, nothing to do with creating jobs, nothing to do with improving the quality of life for state residents.
This has everything to do with pandering to a small, right-wing movement to discredit President Barack Obama's qualifications for office by questioning his birthplace.
This is the so-called "birther" movement, and its members have listened to neither truth nor reason.
Something tells me I should dust off my "simple question campaign" and see where all of our state lawmakers stand on this stupidity.
Now you can add the vintage clothing store Upscale Downtown Consignments to the list of retail businesses that are disappearing because of the problems associated with doing business on Main Street.
Several downtown store owners I talked to were quick to complain about the parking spaces that were removed on Main Street and how the lack of parking availability negatively effected their businesses.
Last month, did a two part interview with the store's owner, Barbara Levitt where she described the unfriendly atmosphere for retail stores on Main Street and how those difficulties, which the disappearance of parking availability on Main Street, confusion with the parking system at the new garage on Library Place, and the lack of assistance she received from the city and state officials, contributed to the closing of her business.
Part 1: Background of Levitt's business and the circumstances on Main Street that resulted in the closing of her business.
Part 2: Response from city of state officials to Levitt's concerns.
For those who know about the problems on Main Street, Levitt isn't the first person who has complained about the parking situation downtown nor is she the first person who was forced to close her door because of the situation. Years ago, the retailer "The Cow's Outside" close it's doors downtown and moved to Norwalk due in large part to the parking woes that Levitt described and other retailers who I talked to during my interview with Levitt echoed her concerns.
If the city truly wants a vibrant downtown, what's needed is not rehash of suggestions from another committee but action and results.
"I've always been against illegal immigration," he said. "We certainly welcome immigrants into our community. We're proud of our multicultural past, present and future."
Attack media outlets who told the truth about the ICE ACCESS program,
Sent his goons on the city council to de-fund the Hispanic Center and threaten The Association of Religious Communities over their opposition of ICE ACCESS,
Ran away from the media during the initial moments after news of racist emails from council Republican majority leader Pauline Basso and Planning Commissioner Joel Urice were made public,
Lost among stories about the weather are the recent 287g actions that have transpired in the city.
Although the mayor and supporters of the program on the city council assured the public that the program would be used to catch "dangerous criminals" and not used to for raid, sweeps and round-up of law abiding residents, the 287g action that took place on Dec 9 2010, where several immigrants were detained although there was no warrant for their arrest, was not what Boughton promised.
As more people who fought against the implementation of 287g in Danbury speak out about this latest incident, local activist Gulamhusein Abba expressed his concerns about the matter and asked me if I would publish his words...
The recent ICE raids in the city, with the participation of the local police, (made in pursuance of the 287(g) partnership the City entered into with ICE in September, 2009), were perverse and despicable. They made a mockery of the spirit of Christmas which speaks of love, compassion, charity and peace, and during which we piously mouth words of Jesus, like “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and make every effort to be with our entire family and help others unite with theirs.
As against this, ICE agents, and our own local police, on December 9, burst into houses while people were still asleep, dragged some out of their beds, handcuffed them and took them away, without telling those left behind where they were being taken or what the charges against them were.
Both, ICE and DPD have been tightlipped about the names of those arrested or the charges against them.
However, according to reliable sources, in this first exercise of the Danbury 287(g) program, only one of the five arrested had a history of criminal convictions. Two Hispanics who were arrested appear to have been collateral arrests.
We, the residents of Danbury, have been betrayed by Mayor Boughton, Chief of Police Al Baker and others. They have gone back on the solemn assurances given when they were seeking to persuade the Common Council and the residents of Danbury to approve the City’s move to enter into a partnership with ICE.
We were assured then that the partnership would be used only to detain and deport undocumented immigrants who were involved in criminal activity, there would be transparency in the operation of the program, a committee/panel would be appointed to oversee the program.
None of this has happened.
We must hold the Mayor and the Chief of police accountable.
Danbury Live VIDEO: BOE American Carrera Tech/Solar panels at Park Ave School
Tuesday, February 01, 2011 Time: 5:30 PM
One of the hot items on this month's city council agenda centers on the Board of Educations request for solar panels at Park Avenue School.
Since several people requested a copy of the ad-hoc committee on this matter, I reached out to John Neumiller who produces the local access show "Danbury Live" for a copy of his video footage.
A copy of the minutes from the ad-hoc committee can be downloaded by clicking here.
Danbury Police are investigating a series of "smash and grab" break-ins in Danbury over the past week. In all cases, either the window was broken or the door was kicked in.
Police said petty cash and cigarettes were taken. On Jan. 29, the Valero Gas Station on Padanaram Road was the target. On the same day, Black and Gold Foodmart at 52a Pembroke Road was the target. On Jan. 30, Caper Too Deli at 2 Germantown Road was the target, and on the same day, the Shell Gas Station at 2 Old Shelter Rock Road was the target. On Jan. 31, the Panache Car Wash at 65 Mill Plain Road was the target. On Tuesday, Mutual Motors/ Sunoco was the target at 17 Mill Plain Road. That same day, someone hit Nicks Restaurant at 4 Starr St., and Monroe Muffler at 41 Lake Avenue Extension.
Anyone with information regarding the morons who are committing these crimes are encouraged to contact the DanburyPD @ 203-797-4662 or to call the TIPS hotline at 203-790-8477.
The opportunity to run for Congress in 2010 was a tremendous honor. My decision to run for Congress in Connecticut’s Fifth District was made by answering a simple question, ‘at this time can I make a difference and help the people of Connecticut by serving in Congress?’ Based on my wife, Lori’s, and my belief that we needed to restore fiscal conservatism to our federal government, we concluded that yes, I could make a difference if elected. Although I was disappointed that we came up short in our election, I was pleased that the message of restoring fiscal responsibility resounded throughout our nation and led to significant changes in Congress.
Since the end of the 2010 campaign, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of well-wishers and individuals encouraging me to run again in 2012 for Congress in the Fifth District. While my commitment to serving the people of Connecticut is stronger than ever, Lori and I have made the decision that I will not run for Congress in 2012. With a young family, I believe that I must find a way to help make a difference in our state from closer to home than serving in Washington at this time would permit.
Lori and I will be forever grateful to our many friends who provided us with the support, help and encouragement to run a strong race in 2010. We look forward to finding new ways to serve Connecticut.
Too bad, I could always count on Sam offering some memorable debate moments against Chris Murphy.
Sam will be missed...but maybe now Chris Healy will reach out to Mike McLachlan and ask him to throw his hat in the race (given the GOP chairman's laughable record in recruiting candidates and all).
Nation responds to State Sen. McLachlan's birther bill
Time: 11:33 AM
As word of State Senator Mike McLachlan's idiotic birther bill spread across the country, here's a small sample of the feedback… State Sen. Gayle Slossberg:
State Sen. Gayle Slossberg, co-chairwoman of the committee where the bill was filed, was immediately cool to the idea.
"It was a real shock that such a divisive type of bill would be proposed,'' said Slossberg, a Milford Democrat. "I don't see it as a priority for the committee. Talk about the fringe. This is an old and disposed-of matter.''
When asked for the chances of the bill being approved by the committee on a scale of 1 to 10, Slossberg said, "I can't imagine that members of the committee are going to want to spend time on this. I don't know if this is one person's opinion or concern or this is the arm of out-there people. ... This is just ridiculous.''
"At a time when Connecticut faces a significant budget shortfall, it's ridiculous that Senate Republicans are focusing on tired political attacks that have nothing to do with the issues facing Connecticut," Democratic Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said Monday.
"Our Democratic leaders are focusing on real solutions to move Connecticut forward, and their Republican colleagues in the Senate should join them," DiNardo added.
THUMBS DOWN to state Sen. Michael McLachlan, R-Danbury, for giving credence to the so-called birther movement by proposing a bill, No. 391, that would require candidates for president and vice president to provide their original birth certificates before their names can be placed on a ballot. Clearly this plays into the hands of the divisive lobby that has questioned whether President Barack Obama is qualified to hold office. McLachlan otherwise has been productive in the opening weeks of the 2011 legislative session by proposing or co-sponsoring 57 bills, many of which would directly affect the lives of his constituency in the 24th District. The proposed act would not.
Oh I’m so glad he cleared that up. Another politician dealing in semantics instead of solutions. Just what we need at this critical juncture.
[…]
Is Sen. McLeachlan suggesting that President Obama can’t drive? Does he have videotape of Obama not driving??
[…]
What a freak show. Connecticut needs more Republicans like Kyle McLachlan. I mean we know the majority of the GOP representatives are closet freaks, (please notice how GOP leadership has Kyle’s back on this one…) But what could be awesomer than Rep. McLachlan displaying his full-on freakiness to the voting public? Can we encourage them all to come out with their real views!
[…]
Unbelievable! We are facing a 3 billion dollar deficit, we need jobs, and this knucklehead is proposing legislation that impacts neither issue. This is what the CT GOP represents? Folks, see the circus act for what it is…ideology over innovation. Pathetic.
[…]
Proof positive that time wasting Idiots come in all Political persuasions. Maybe McLachlan can subpoena Jose Conseco or Roger Clemons to testify on this important birth certificate crisis.
How did MacLachlan get elected again? A shameful blemish on this beautiful blue state.
[…]
I really and truly wish these people would stop wasting taxpayers money, work on fixing the job economy and just generally go DO SOMETHING USEFUL.
[…]
Dear birthers:
I have no idea why you are pushing so hard against the idea that Barack Obama is qualified to hold the office of President of the United States. He is a natural born American citizen. Put aside the whole birth certificate notion for the moment. Barack Obama's mother is an American citizen and has been her whole life. It does not matter where in the world Barack Obama was born (hint: Hawaii), he is still a natural born American because his mother is an American citizen. Holding to your belief that Obama is unqualified, by birth, to be President of the United States only lessens your credibility on this topic and others. Please open your mind and see the big picture.
[…]
The birthers push so hard because they cannot accept the fact that the President of the United States is the son of a black man and a white woman. Bigotry at its most blatant.
[…]
Would you lke to know something really interesting? Go to The Hartford Courant newspaper website. Try to find a story about this. It isn't there. Do you know why? It's because in Connecticut McLachlan is considered to be about as important as a housefly. He is an extremist nuisance and he gets no press because his ideas are not feasible because they would never hold up in any court.
[…]
Where are the jobs?? How is it he has all this time on his hands when we need jobs here in Ct and we have a record deficit
[…]
This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the KKK is alive and well in the US of A! You should all be so very proud
[…]
Democrats need to prove their Birth and Republicans need to prove what sex they are.many are not sure all those males are males or all the females are females at birth.Its time to put all the proof on the table.
[…]
So you need more proof than the Supreme Court? One that was stocked with Bush's own? If they could not reject his credentials, then who are YOU?
[…]
President Obama has nothing to hide. You, on the other hand, appear to be trying to wrap your bigotry in the American flag.
[…]
Said it before, I say it again. Fear of the big, bad, black man. If he were a white guy whose father came from England, there would not be "birthers."
[…]
Not sure this comment will make it past the moderators (they haven't liked me much today), and it probably won't be appreciated.
Random thoughts on a cold snowy night..................................
I wonder how many of those who reject Barack O'bama's presidency....... because they believe he was NOT born in the USA.................
also believe that children of illegal immigrants should have ALL the rights of citizens, because they were?
[…]
Funny but not surprising. The moment a black president was inaugurated Tea party and birthers came to life. Common white people.
[…]
between these folks, palins fanatics, and the voters who elected bachmann; I never realised just how many people there are in the US with real problems thinking clearly.
[…]
I live in Connecticut. How embarrassing!
[…]
As time goes on, it becomes more and more difficult for the birthers and tea partiers to deny the racism at the core of their agenda. Ironically, it wasn't progressive media sources that convinced me of that. It was after attending a few tea party rallies in Texas and one other state with family members that convinced me of that. I heard so many people saying "I'm so glad so-and-so didn't live long enough to see a black man in the white house" and "we have to do something to stop this "
The bulk of the people in the ultra-conservative movement at people over 60, retired, and on Social Security, and Medicare (another glaring irony). They feel like something was taken from them when Obama was elected. I reluctantly continue to spend time with those family members, but we have agreed that politics would not be discussed.
Not EVERYONE on the radical right is motivated by racism. They are legitimately concerned about big govt. and deficits, but they aren't bending over backward to change the racist component of the movement from the inside. Their silence on that issue makes them just as complicit as those carrying signs showing Obama with a bone through his nose.
[…]
This is clearly an attack against adoption. Those of you out there who were adopted can confirm this. In many, many cases, your original birth certificate was sealed to protect your birth parents' identity. Thus adopted people would experience discrimination in running for president in these states. These anti-American and unChristian baggers are trying to redefine rape and thus are attacking victims and now are attacking adoptees. They have no shame. As far as I'm concerned, they are traitors.
[…]
Protecting their fragile sense of social status.
The election of~a black president has made it glaringly clear and driven home the point, like nothing else in the past, that not only, they are not the only ones seating at the table, but now, even the head of the table will be shared and will represent all, and this is something that their fragile egos can not accept.
Their absolute panic that they aren't any more special than the rest of humanity in their various colors, is the reason why they have stopped thinking logically and have easily succumbed to the ludicrous narratives disseminated by those who would continue to use them. Ideas that one would accept from a child's flight of imagination but otherwise leaves thinking adults scratching their heads when purported by other adults.
They believe themselves to be fighting some noble cause, when in reality all they are doing is protecting their fragile sense of social status, and to hide this from the public and quite often and sadly even from themselves, they adopt poorly researched or thought out stances that often contradict themselves or their best interest.
Perhaps when they grow up they can return to reason and we can have them back into the debate of tackling our problems and how to move this world forward.
[…]
I've got it! All we need to do is invent a time machine so all these birthers can go back to 8/1/61 and see Obama being born for themselves!
[…]
I must admit that I am somewhat shocked at the number of really stupid people in this country. But then, many are simply run of the mill racists. So, I guess I am not so shocked after all.
[…]
LOL
hmmmm, lets see. In order for Obama to have~risen to the presidency without being an American, the institutions and people that would have to be part of the conspiracy would be...
CIA,
FBI,
NSA,
The Pentagon,
Secret Service,
The SCOTUS,
US Congress,
Congress Security,
All (both parties) of Illinois' Government, Civic and Political members,
All the people that ran against him since entering politics,
All of Hawaii's Civic and Political members,
Harvard,
The Hígh~School he attended,
The hospital that issue the BC,
The Social Security office,
And...
the Dept. of Immigration itself.
Never mind that some of these agencies would have dug into his background to find out what he had for lunch on his 3rd birthday before handing over the most secret and sensitive intelligence, making him the "Commander in Chief" and giving him access to that "little red button".
Heh. Just the thought that these people think they discovered something that the first 5 aforementioned agencies didn't its laughable.
[…]
To date the following are all undisclosed: 1) 1961 long-form, original, signed birth certificate 2)3) Obama’s baptism records — sealed 3) Obama’s adoption records — sealed 4) Records of Obama’s and his mother’s repatriation as U.S. citizens on return from Indonesia — not found, not released 5) Name change (Barry Sotero to Barack Hussein Obama) records — not found, not released 6) Columbia College records — not released 7) Columbia senior thesis — not released 8) Harvard Law School records — not released 9) Obama’s files from career as an Illinois state senator — sealed 10) Obama’s record with Illinois State Bar Association — sealed
So many questions!!!!
[…]
What planet do you live on? Obama has produced all the documents that every other senator, representative and former president have produced. Nothing more, nothing less.
Admit your racism. Many of us predicted this before he was elected. Racists will never accept a black person in the White House. You have proved our prediction to be accurate.
[…]
Here is an answer -- Hawaii decides their state records. The US Constitution gives states the "FULL FAITH AND CREDIT" to states to decide their own records.
Got that? So even if Obama was born on Mars, doesn't matter. Hawaii decides their own recors. Their records and their officials validate his birth.
If those persons are wrong, and Obama was born on Pluto -- doesn't matter. Hawaii decides.
Oh, did I mention the state of Hawaii decides? Full faith and credit clause of constituteon.
I could go on and on but I think you get the point...
Tonight at 7PM at Rogers Park, the city wide PTO will hold an education budget workshop where members of the board of education and school officials will talk about what's in store for the next fiscal year.
Remember State Sen Mike McLachlan? You know, that senator from Danbury who says one thing on the campaign trail (fiscal responsibility), but offers nothing but far right teabagging nonsense as a legislator (tenth amendment/state nullification bill, homophobic legislation proposals against same sex couples, etc).
Referred to Committee on Government Administration and Elections
Introduced by:
SEN. MCLACHLAN, 24th Dist.
AN ACT CONCERNING QUALIFICATIONS TO APPEAR AS A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OR VICE-PRESIDENT ON A BALLOT IN THIS STATE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
That title 9 of the general statutes be amended to require the Secretary of the State to be presented with an original birth certificate of any candidate for the federal office of president or vice-president that certifies that the certificate holder is a natural-born United States citizen, prior to certifying that the candidate is qualified to appear on the ballot.
Statement of Purpose:
To require that candidates for president and vice-president provide their original birth certificates in order to be placed on the ballot.
Yes ladies and gentleman, Mike McLachlan is a birther.
For those who don't know what the term "birther" means, here's a little lesson:
Conspiracy theories often flourish in the wake of traumatic or game-changing events – the Sept. 11 attacks, the moon landing, the Kennedy assassination – and the election of America's first black president has been no exception.
Almost as soon as Barack Obama emerged as a serious candidate for the presidency, rumors about whether or not he is really an American, and thus eligible for the presidency, began popping up online. In response, the Obama campaign posted the Certification of Live Birth* (here it is) showing that Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.
But that did not quiet the skeptics, a group that has been come to be known as the "birthers." If anything, it encouraged them. They argued that the birth certificate is a fake, and that Mr. Obama is not the "natural born citizen" he claims to be. Mr. Obama, many birthers say, was actually born in Kenya, though there are a number of theories that fall under the birther umbrella.
The din eventually got loud enough that some reputable organizations checked out the birthers' claims – and they found no evidence to support them. In fact, there was overwhelming evidence against such claims, including Mr. Obama's 1961 birth announcement, printed in two Hawaii newspapers. Here's one detailed investigation, and here's another.
PolitiFact wrote after its extensive look at the claims a year ago:
It is possible that Obama conspired his way to the precipice of the world's biggest job, involving a vast network of people and government agencies over decades of lies. Anything's possible.
But step back and look at the overwhelming evidence to the contrary and your sense of what's reasonable has to take over.
Yes folks, State Sen McLachlan has joined that prestigious group of right-wing misfits that think President Obama was not born in the United States (despite all the evidence to the contrary).
CNN's Anderson Cooper has done an EXCELLENT JOB confronting and ripping apart state lawmakers such as McLachlan who introduce idiotic birther bills.
Have you heard that the Birthers are making a comeback? They are, baby! Straight up passing laws in Arizona that would require presidential candidates to submit their birth certificates in order to get ballot access for the election. It's just one thing that is making Arizona, in the words of State Representative Kyrsten Sinema (D-Phoenix), "the laughing stock of the nation".
But State Representaitve Cecil Ash (R-Mesa) supports the measure -- not because he thinks President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States... no, no! -- simply because it would help to remove doubts. It's all part of that small government ethos that maintains that the power of an intrusive state government can and should be brought to bear in order to alleviate the silly concerns of legitimately crazy people.
So, last night, Anderson Cooper took up the issue on his eponymous CNN show, and more or less laid the wood to Ash, who reiterated his point about the need to dispel the "controversy."
ASH: Anderson, I think there's been a lot of controversy over the issue, created a division among a lot of people in the United States, for better or worse, many people don't believe he is a U.s. citizen, they believe he has divided loyalties, i suppose you could say.
COOPER: Right, but those people are wrong, he is a U.S. citizen.
ASH: You're telling me that he's wrong. I've never investigated that. If he is, he has nothing to fear.
Also? He has "nothing to fear" because as Cooper noted, those people are wrong! But look: this is precisely how juvenile this stuff gets:
COOPER: But I mean the information is out there, it has been released, it has been shown there are some people who don't believe it but there are also some people that believe the moon is made out of cheese. You can say you never investigated it but I think you would probably say the moon is not made out of cheese.
"You have to have a birth certificate to get a driver's license," McLachlan said. "The same should be true to become president or vice president."
Earth to McLachlan...Obama ALREADY did that and it's been verified by just about every single media outlet AS WELL AS THE COURTS.
Wait...it gets better.
McLachlan submitted his proposal after hearing several arguments about President Barack Obama's citizenship, he said.
"They claim that he is not a natural-born citizen," McLachlan said.
McLachlan's stupidity knows no bounds as the claim that Obama's not a citizen has been dismissed in court...including THE SUPREME COURT.
McLachlan said he is not suggesting that Obama is not a natural-born citizen with this bill. Instead, McLachlan said, he hopes passage of the bill will stop these types of arguments in the future.
If McLachlan isn't suggesting that Obama isn't a natural born citizen, why is he proposing that candidates for President show their ORIGINAL birth certificate as opposed to a copy of a birth certificate that is upheld under article four of the U.S. Constitution
Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof
Finally...
"Let's stop talking about this," McLachlan said.
Mike, you're the idiotic lawmaker who proposed the bill in the first place...maybe you should not listening to your ilk on the far right.
“At a time when Connecticut faces a significant budget shortfall, it’s ridiculous that Senate Republicans are focusing on tired political attacks that have nothing to do with the issues facing Connecticut,” Democratic Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said Monday.
“Our Democratic leaders are focusing on real solutions to move Connecticut forward, and their Republican colleagues in the Senate should join them,” DiNardo added.
In an update at CTNewsJunkie, McLachlan's backpedaling reaches new grounds as he tries to deflect that his bill has anything to do with President Obama.
McLachlan did not want to talk about the conspiracies surrounding Obama’s citizenship he said he simply wanted to write legislation that requires it going forward to stop the arguments about who qualifies. McLachlan said Sen. John McCain’s citizenship was also challenged by a Senate panel.
McLachlan's latest bit of nonsense caused a response from Governor Dannel P. Malloy.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wondered why McLachlan was picking on McCain.
“You know, listen, I think we should honor our constitution and I think John McCain was eligible to run for president so I don’t know why the senators picking on John McCain,” said Malloy.
Enjoy your 15 mins of fame in the national spotlight Mike...you earned it buddy (you can thank me for all the attention you're receiving later)!
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.
