Posted on 08/23/2003 3:25:07 AM PDT by sarcasm
Los Angeles, U.S., August 22, 2003 (EFE).- Hispanics in the South L.A. municipality of Maywood are angry at what they say is a discriminatory campaign in which police are stopping Latinos and impounding the vehicles of those without a driver's license.
"We're not talking about agents of law and order but of official corruption, as though this were Latin America," an irate Felipe Aguirre of the Comite Pro Uno, an activist group organizing protests against the practice, told EFE.
In the last 12 months, more than 1,800 vehicles have been impounded from members of the Hispanic community in a town of some 40,000 inhabitants.
Although the underlying reason for the regulation is road safety, the Comite Pro Uno, supported by the nationwide League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, allege the manner of enforcement in Maywood has made it a new form of racial discrimination.
"They're taking it out on the immigrant community," said Aguirre, after pointing out that the number of vehicles impounded in the community exceeded the total for the rest of the state of California.
The cars were impounded after their drivers could not produce a valid license. Latino activists say seizure of the vehicle is a drastic measure.
The vast majority of undocumented immigrants do not have a driver's license, because documentation is required in order to obtain one. The California state legislature is currently debating a bill that would allow many illegal immigrants to get a license.
Maywood is "99.9 percent Hispanic," as attested by the fact that even the council members are Latino, but the traffic cops are "all white," Aguirre said.
The activist alleges, however, that the problem is not only another instance of racial discrimination.
According to Aguirre, the massive impounding of vehicles in the Hispanic community is aimed at fattening the municipal coffers with easy money obtained from the most needy, whose cars are usually worth less than the fines that must be paid to get them back.
Such was the case with Yolanda and Paolo, a Mexican couple who in the last three months have had their Dodge Shadow - which cost $1,000 - impounded twice, and had to pay $656 each time to get it released.
"It's clear we need to resolve the problem of people driving without licenses in California, but to use traffic laws to seize the property of undocumented immigrants is not the solution," said LULAC president Hector Flores.
This situation should be debated in the state legislature, said Aguirre, who expressed hope that amid the turmoil California is presently experiencing the effort to recall Gov. Gray Davis, the embattled incumbent would see fit to authorize the state to issue licenses to illegal immigrants.
Police Checks of Cars Halted
Maywood temporarily suspends checkpoints after complaints they ensnared mostly illegal immigrants without driver's licenses.
By Jose Cardenas
L.A. Times Staff Writer
August 22, 2003
Maywood has agreed to a four-month moratorium on police checkpoints, criticized by some for mainly ensnaring illegal immigrants who can't get driver's licenses.
Mayor Pro-Tem Samuel Peña and Mayor George Martinez announced the moratorium at a meeting attended by hundreds Wednesday night at St. Rose of Lima Church. The meeting was the result of efforts by two community groups that for months have worked to organize residents in opposition to the policy.
"I honestly believe that the community basically said, 'Look, city of Maywood, your checkpoints not only get unlicensed drivers, but they also get unlicensed drivers who can't get driver licenses,' " Peña said.
"Our job is to make sure safety comes first." The Police Department is short-handed anyhow, Peña said.
The checkpoints were established at 6 p.m., twice monthly, at four of Maywood's busiest intersections.
Some residents said that the checkpoints mostly caught undocumented workers, who cannot legally get California driver's licenses, as they drove home from work.
Residents also have criticized the checkpoints as a money-raising device for the city and a tow-truck operator with which it has a contract.
That company, Maywood Club Tow, earlier had agreed to release vehicles impounded at checkpoints to their owners without charge until Sept. 10.
Some residents said the four-month moratorium might be sufficient if a measure now in the state Senate — SB 60 — which would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, becomes law.
The rest of the article is here.
Well, DUH!!!!!
"We're not talking about agents of law and order but of official corruption, as though this were Latin America," an irate Felipe Aguirre of the Comite Pro Uno, an activist group organizing protests against the practice, told EFE."
And just what is YOUR immigration status Felipe? I suppose you are referring to the "lawlessness" of those who are making some feeble attempt to enforce our laws as opposed to those "law-abiding" non-citizens who jump our borders and drive without a license.
"a new form of racial discrimination"
Then GO HOME where you won't be discriminated against. Some Americans get downright testy about having to support a bunch of criminals with their hard-earned money. Go figure.
"They're taking it out on the immigrant community,"
"They're taking it out on the immigrant community criminal aliens,"
"Maywood is "99.9 percent Hispanic"
Hey moron, did you ever consider that just maybe that is the reason that most of the people stopped there are hispanic? Doesn't take a rocket scientist to do the math.
"the massive impounding of vehicles in the Hispanic community is aimed at fattening the municipal coffers with easy money obtained from the most needy"
Bingo! Give the idiot a cigar. THAT is happening everywhere and generally it is the poorest people who suffer the most as a result. Hint: the rest of us have to show a driver's license and proof of insurance to get our vehicles back too. For a LEGAL resident this is not a problem. Funny how that works.
"It's clear we need to resolve the problem of people driving without licenses in California"
Hey, I got a novel idea. If they don't have a license and they can't produce one in a reasonable period of time such as what is alloted to other drivers and they cannot show proof of citizenship, we take the opportunity to deport their @$$e$!
Then do the impounds for lack of auto liability insurance. Most illegals won't bother getting that either.
Here in SC, if you allow your insurance to lapse the local Sheriff will send a deputy by to knock on your door and collect your plates. The license plate is the property of the State of South Carolina.
(I just got the urge to hear War's "Low Rider").
Only because Animal Farm has not come to you yet.
You see on Animal Farm, some animals are more equal than others.
They could do what Americans who lack drivers licenses are expected to do ---- walk, ride a bus, ride a bike. No one forces them to drive ---- and this isn't racist if they do the same to an illegal Irishman who doesn't have a drivers license. It's a little more than ironic that the illegal Latin Americans are complaining about the USA becoming like Latin America ---- that's exactly what is happening --- but they're the ones making it happen.
I know. How about we give them their cars back at the Mexican border heading south, and as you suggested, fees paid by their employers and charges filed against them (the employers).
Isn't that excactly what you invaders are trying to achieve? Gotta take the good with the bad, Senor. You made your bed; now lie in it.
Look for a new group of citizens people to be classified as entitled to "special rights and protections."
LOL! Bless your heart. You actually seem to believe that the border patrol would do that.
I think it's a wee bit too late.
What part of "YOU NEED A DRIVERS LICENSE TO DRIVE", don't they understand??????
"It's clear we need to resolve the problem of people driving without licenses in California, but to use traffic laws to seize the property of undocumented immigrants is not the solution," said LULAC president Hector Flores.
Just because these people come from a lawless country doesn't mean that they can break the laws here and get away from it!!!!!
If they're not here legally they should have no RIGHTS!!!!
That really is the funniest part of all --- if non-hispanics complain about the USA becoming like Latin America, we're called xenophobics, afraid of adapting to the new culture moving in, stupid for not learning Spanish fast enough. But the Latin Americans turn right around and say the same thing.
In other words: We'll invite you here to come work for us, but we don't have to give you basic civil rights because we can pretend you're here without our consent, and then we'll steal from you whenever we can.
Of course, if it was so bad here, illegals wouldn't keep coming across the border. Still, this is obviously wrong. The state is stealing from these people because it's greedy.
We need to seal the borders and stop mistreating the illegal immigrants who are already here. We invited them here with jobs, and we gave our approval for them to come by not sealing the border. We can't blame them for reading between the lines and accepting our invitation to come and work.
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