Support Immigration Ordinance, contact city of Hartford Council members

Members of the city of Hartford Court of Common Council listen to Public Hearing regarding the "Immigration Ordinance: Chapter 2 Article XXI" on July 17, 2008.

In typical fashion, when you want to teach a person how to fish so that they can feed themselves, leave it to the politricksters to break the fishing poles, cut up the fishing nets, and sink the boats. After a very powerful show of support at the public hearing for the Immigration Ordinance, some of the council members who openly said they would support it are now reconsidering and looking for a way to not support those residents who can't speak for themselves. Residents turned out to support this resolution, some speaking publicly, for the first time fearless of being asked of their immigration status. What is pathetic about the sheepish attitude of those that would not support this is that they don't understand what it is like to live in fear -- even those legal immigrants -- of being arrested and deported simply for trying to report crimes and concerns such as poor housing.

This ordinance is being put forth to strengthen the general order of Police Chief Darryl Roberts, that police will not request immigration status of individuals who call the police department to report crimes or incidents, or are witnesses. This is not to 'protect suspects' as some blindly accuse. Despite popular misconception, municipal police departments are not agents of the federal government and should not be dealing with immigration status. This ordinance would also go further to affect other city departments, such as housing. Many immigrants will not report housing concerns due to intimidation by slumlords who threaten to call Immigration and Customs on them (even if they are here legally). So what our city ends up dealing with is blighted slum buildings not because of the tenants, but because of tyrant landlords who hide behind their tenants' fear and lack of knowledge of their rights.

Since some council members are saying they are reconsidering because of calls from concerned constituents, perhaps those who would support this should get informed and place calls to the members of the court of common council. Click on the links for the language for the ordinance, facts from the Hartford Immigration Rights Coalition, and the telephone numbers for council members and staff.