[AXGreg]

Original article in Spanish: http://noticias.aollatino.com/2011/0...rtal|noticali|

English translated version: http://translate.google.com/translat...ali%7C&act=url

NEW YORK .- Immigrants, lawyers and activists denounced on Friday before a committee countless abuses against Hispanics in the United States : from indiscriminate searches of police on the street to the harshness of the deportation laws for legal immigrants, through the need for more Spanish interpreters in the courts.

Representatives from various organizations and individual immigrants spoke to the Committee of the Bar Association of the United States for the Legal Rights and Responsibilities of Hispanics.

Milena, a 31 year old Colombian who declined to give his name because he is trying to legalize their immigration status, reported domestic violence suffered by her husband, a Dominican immigrant legal status.

"He dominated, subjected me, because I had no documents. It was his way of staying there," said the immigrant in an emotional speech. "I encourage you to explain this because it might boost and more Hispanic women to report their situation."

Milena explained how her husband complained to the immigration authorities to stay with her daughter and three years of both, who was born in the United States. Sanctuary for Family organization Milena got to stay in the country to prove he was a victim of domestic violence.

Manuel Vargas, founder of the Immigrant Defense Project in New York (Immigrant Advocacy Project in New York), reported to the commission, "the tough" immigration laws and deportation for legal immigrants. Vargas said that legal immigrants are not entitled to a lawyer once government has approved a deportation order.

"About 90% of immigrants who have been legal for a long time and who are deported from Latin America," said Vargas. "Many of them languish for months in the custody of immigration authorities, often without a lawyer."

Vargas also said that, years ago, an immigrant with legal status who was arrested for a crime and facing deportation could be released on bail. Now, depending on the crime, and judges can not order that freedom, he said.

The administration of President Barack Obama deported a record 393,000 people in fiscal year 2010, which has generated strong criticism from organizations defending immigrants.

Friday's hearing was the third conducted by the commission. The agency has also heard testimony from immigrants in Chicago and San Francisco. The next public meeting is scheduled for May 20 in Miami.

Eleven members of the committee on Friday heard grim testimony from activists and immigrants in a room at the law faculty at the University of New York. The Agency shall prepare a report with some of the main complaints and hopes to go public later this year.

Several commissioners stressed the importance of listening to immigrants at a time when the U.S. census has just announced that U.S. Hispanics account for 50 million, or one in every six Americans.

Darius Charney, a lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights (Center for Constitutional Rights), denounced the indiscriminate searches made by police as immigrants by their appearance.

"Police in New York is the largest police force in the country. If we make sure they do their work fairly, it can have positive implications in other police departments," said Charney.

Police in New York recently announced that the number of searches performed exceeded 601,000 last year, representing a record since the department began tracking such data in 2002. The former governor of New York, David Paterson signed into law in July to end the practice of police of the city of New York to record the names of thousands of people were stopped and cached on the street without being accused of anything.

The latest testimony Friday before the committee was Altagracia Mayi, a Dominican of 57 years who lost her son, named Manny, when he was killed by a gang in Queens College in 1991.

MayÃ* said authorities failed to prosecute all those responsible for the death of his son and that his case was dismissed because she and her son are Hispanic.

"I urge this panel to help me obtain justice, to see if I can die in peace," said MayÃ* with tears in his eyes. Now let see what windmill have to say about this.

[XIMHOTEP-X]

countless abuses against Hispanics in the United States : from indiscriminate searches of police on the street to the harshness of the deportation laws for legal immigrants, through the need for more Spanish interpreters in the courts. Tired of being stopped on the street? Don't copy the mannerisms of thugs. Don't want to be deported? Don't commit a crime. Need more interpreters? Make even a half assed attempt at learning the language.

[Wahwlsnt]

Tired of being stopped on the street? Don't copy the mannerisms of thugs. Don't want to be deported? Don't commit a crime. Need more interpreters? Make even a half assed attempt at learning the language.

I agree, but on my case I only needed an interpreter as on that time I didn't knew half of the English I know now.

[AdvertisingPo]

Tired of being stopped on the street? Don't copy the mannerisms of thugs. Don't want to be deported? Don't commit a crime. Need more interpreters? Make even a half assed attempt at learning the language.

This isn't always true. One of my best friends, who happens to be hispanic, being completely devoid of any thugish mannerisms or dress, has been stopped by the police on several different occasions.

[juliannamed]

This isn't always true. One of my best friends, who happens to be hispanic, being completely devoid of any thugish mannerisms or dress, has been stopped by the police on several different occasions.

That is right, they won't always stop you because of thug mannerism, is just because of your race.

[HonestSean]

I've never been stopped, but once I was driving and a cop car drove in front of me and hit the brakes.

[KLIMOV25gyi]

I've never been stopped, but once I was driving and a cop car drove in front of me and hit the brakes.

At least they hit the brakes in the US. I've seen cops here run over small animals on purpose.

I reported a cop for running over someone's cat once. They took my statement, but they were sure to tear a strip off of me for reporting the misconduct of a cop.

If I did the same thing, I'd get a hefty fine and maybe even jail time for animal cruelty.

Yes, the owner of the cat was a known drug dealer, but the cat shouldn't be punished for that.

[FreeDownloadOEMsoftware]

This isn't always true. One of my best friends, who happens to be hispanic, being completely devoid of any thugish mannerisms or dress, has been stopped by the police on several different occasions.

though it is true that blacks and hispanics are much more likely to get stopped than say someone like me(im not really the best example because i look like a stoner lol but you get the idea, a white guy) being dressed like you came out of a rap video or dressed like you probably listen to bob marley means your waaay more likely to get stopped than if your dressing casual. how you dress and the mannerisms you have plan a big role in how they profile

then again their idea of casual might differ from yours..so its all relative.

---------- Post added 2011-03-26 at 18:31 ----------

At least they hit the brakes in the US. I've seen cops here run over small animals on purpose.

I reported a cop for running over someone's cat once. They took my statement, but they were sure to tear a strip off of me for reporting the misconduct of a cop.

If I did the same thing, I'd get a hefty fine and maybe even jail time for animal cruelty.

Yes, the owner of the cat was a known drug dealer, but the cat shouldn't be punished for that.

the magnificent blue wall of silence. their like the mafia sometimes.


for the record,no,i dont like cops.nor do i trust them..

[Adamanta]

the magnificent blue wall of silence. their like the mafia sometimes.


for the record,no,i dont like cops.nor do i trust them..

Neither do I. Although I acknowledge there are good cops out there, who become cops because they truly believe in what the cops claim to do "protect and serve".

Cops can be idiots, though. One time, I was going to a coffee/donut shop (lol) and I saw a cop car in the parking lot with its headlights on. I told the cops sitting in there that.They didn't even say "thanks for the heads up", they also gave me attitude... and I was just trying to be nice.

[BariGrootrego]

though it is true that blacks and hispanics are much more likely to get stopped than say someone like me(im not really the best example because i look like a stoner lol but you get the idea, a white guy) being dressed like you came out of a rap video or dressed like you probably listen to bob marley means your waaay more likely to get stopped than if your dressing casual. how you dress and the mannerisms you have plan a big role in how they profile

then again their idea of casual might differ from yours..so its all relative.

True dress does up your chances of being targeted, but my homeboi is either dressed like he is about to go play Tennis, or go to some Semi formal dinner party or something. Dude wears a suit or sports jacket whenever the crew gets together on the weekends . Though unlike him I know well enough to avoid the police unless I have specifically called for their assistance and even then I am wary of them.

[Ilaubuas]

police force brings in alot of people with control issues and people with huge egos,thats why you hear so much about cops beating their wives,stacy peterson anyone? they probably felt powerless in their youth and feel the need to wield it as an adult, so they join the force and have no idea how to handle it.i think thats why you get alot of assholes in the police force..

i met one cop that i genuinely liked when i was younger,still in elementary. i guess she felt bad for me and offered to pick me up and take me to see a chiefs game, but i was scared and i gave her a fake address,i have no clue if she ever showed up to the house but i thought it was a nice gesture...

[sanddrareyk]

True dress does up your chances of being targeted

This is true. I'm white, but I've noticed a marked difference in how cops treat me when I'm dressed to go to work as opposed to how I'm dressed on my off-time (I'm a metalhead type person).

[Inonanialry]

True dress does up your chances of being targeted, but my homeboi is either dressed like he is about to go play Tennis, or go to some Semi formal dinner party or something. Dude wears a suit or sports jacket whenever the crew gets together on the weekends . Though unlike him I know well enough to avoid the police unless I have specifically called for their assistance and even then I am wary of them.

What part of the south do you live in? May explain why he gets stopped regardless (i.e., if he's not white). Just out here in the 'burg, they used to consistently stop me for menial things (i.e., jaywalking―I swear I wasn't even jaywalking, the light had been green and as I was crossing the street it turned red―loitering―I didn't have a car at the time and I was waiting at a Dunkin Donut for a girl to pick me up ―looking at my reflection in a car window―they thought I was trying to steal something, I think it was a bait car―etc).

I'm pretty good now at avoiding the police (not that I generally do illegal things―other than smoke weed from time to time), but I just don't feel like going through the hassle of being frisk searched for standing in the middle of a parking lot, waiting for a friend to pick me up.

[boltondd]

stop commiting so many crimes then, be normal

[mikelangr]

What part of the south do you live in? May explain why he gets stopped regardless (i.e., if he's not white).

The good ol State of Texas

[Acrogeokickic]

i would go back to texas if and when they decide to succeed...


i think the only thing thats stopping us is louisiana,oklahoma(oklahomo) arkansas and new mexico don't want to come with us.

which is cool,then it would fuck up the shape of the state and what will we do with all these "dont mess with texas" bumper stickers?

[ceagstuntee]

I like that in Texas, all the "No littering" signs say "Don't mess with Texas, $10,000 fine!"

$10,000 fine??? the fine for littering here is $250

I lived in TX for a while, people were nicer to me there than the people are here at home.

[DoctorTentonyya]

i think its up to 10k but i dont think you will actually get tenthousand dollar fines unless your dumping hella amounts of trash like that song about alices resturaunt or something haha.

[Maypeevophy]

stop commiting so many crimes then, be normal

They are normal, we aren't a criminal breed of people.

[alecoplesosse]

ive been to the puerto rican day parade, i beg to differ.




jk.