A swelling Latino population in Hampton Bays has opponents pointing fingers and advocates rushing to the group's defense.

By Lisa Finn | Email the author | 7:16pm
Recent U.S. Census data reflecting a swelling Hispanic population in Hampton Bays — it's risen 154 percent in the last decade — has galvanized residents on both sides of a contentious issue that has sharply divided a community, and a nation.

After an initial article on the subject appeared on Westhampton-Hampton Bays Patch, tempers flared as residents posted a flurry of heated comments on illegal immigration, which they say has led to overcrowded homes, loss of jobs for locals and a strain on schools and hospitals.

In recent years, as numbers of day laborers standing in front of area 7-Elevens and the Hampton Bays movie theater have surged, detractors have engaged in demonstrations to express their ire.

At the same time, a proposal for a hiring site for day laborers in Southampton Village on a parcel of land on Aldrich Lane purchased by the town with Community Preservation Funds ignited months of furious controversy; the plan was nixed and now talks for a potential farm on the parcel have commenced.

But as numbers continue to rise, residents say they’ve had enough.

Hampton Bays resident Robert Nelson, who does tile work, decided to stop talking and start organizing. He said he's planning a large-scale demonstration soon.

“We’ve all been sitting around 7-Eleven in the morning, drinking coffee, and we see them all over the place," Nelson said. "We have to get everyone together. If we have 50 friends, and they have 50 friends and we all get together, we can probably do something about it. There’s strength in numbers.â€