What is your reaction Hispanics leaving Conn. town as FBI probes complaints of police abuse, racial profiling?

[blaisdell]

EAST HAVEN, Conn. - Santiago Malave has worked law enforcement jobs in Connecticut for more than four decades, but as a Puerto Rican, he says he cannot drive through his own town without worrying about police harassing him.

Malave, a probation officer who works in New Haven, says the racial abuse is so bad that he only crosses the town line into East Haven to go home. He and his wife are now preparing to sell their house and move, joining an exodus of Hispanics who say police have hassled them with traffic stops, false arrests and even jailhouse beatings.

The Justice Department has started a civil rights investigation, and the FBI recently opened a criminal probe. But that has not changed things on Main Street, where restaurants and stores that cater to Hispanics are going out of business.

If the goal of police was to ruin East Haven's Hispanic community, some grudgingly say they have succeeded.

"We can't tolerate the town anymore," said Malave, 64. "For us to leave our beautiful home is something that hurts, but we can't deal with these people."

Racial profiling allegations began swirling about two years ago in East Haven, a predominantly Italian-American seaside suburb of about 28,000 people 70 miles northeast of New York City. Hispanics make up only about 7 percent of the population, but their numbers had been growing as the peaceful, small-town setting and thriving businesses attracted newcomers from Mexico and Ecuador.

http://www.startribune.com/nation/112476534.html
As in illegals ?

[collyer]

Certain parts of CT have been like this for decades.Stamford,for example has never been very minority friendly.As a native southern new englander,I can tell you that in the last 15 years illegals have flocked here thinking that they wouldn't get deported.They're getting the surprise of their lives because the USCIS has been raiding all the businesses they've taken over such as factories,landscaping,and restauraunts.

[macquaid35]

I think he is looking for a reason to retire. They start claiming all of this brutality when the police starts enforcing the law. And it certainly doesn't surprise me that Obama and his gang of thugs wont try to stop the police or threaten to file some civil rights charges.

[vohkinne]

I believe It is their own fault. They either support US law or they do'nt. They want to support the illegals from Mexico well this is what they get. Plain and simple (be part of the problem or the solution). Do not cry about an issue you have pushed(Hispanians)!!

[chiram97]

Move out west to Washington State. There's Hispanics here and no one bothers them.

[drystan]

Some months ago, I asked a question "Shouldn't citizens fed up with illegal immigration be allowed to keep illegal aliens out of their towns?" I had some people ask how would we do that; I responded, if the townsfolk don't want you in their towns, there are ways for them to keep you out. This is a perfect example of that. Unfortunately, the illegal aliens have made it hard for the American Hispanics whom are in the US legally. Unfortunately, some people just assume if you are Hispanic, or have an accent (as many Puerto Ricans do), you must be an illegal. People are just fed up with the Feds not doing their jobs, and are taking matters into their own hands.

[ayize]

These people leaving are not necessarily illegal. True, some of them may be illegal immigrants trying to flee before the police find them, but the majority are probably Hispanic people who realize that (if they want a better life) the have to escape to somewhere where people aren't blatantly being racist in the name of the law.

Incidentally, I predict at least 4 or 5 race related comments after this one, two being obvious trolls, the others being serious racial comments. Go figure.