Thread: NY-A tale of two meetings, in Brewster

Beyond Borders
A blog about immigration in the New York region




A tale of two meetings, in Brewster
July 23

I’ve been spending time in Brewster, which is an intense little microcosm of the nation’s angst over illegal immigration. Emotions are still running very high over the June 8 drunk-driving tragedy, and there’s an ongoing argument over whether the crime has anything to do with the immigration issue overall.

There was one evening last week that seemed to bring out the whole assortment of problems and tensions that have divided Brewster — and the surrounding town of Southeast — for years.

In the village proper, there was a meeting of the Brewster police community affairs program, which helps to educate the Spanish-speaking population (though mostly men) about traffic laws, local ordinances, culture clashes, etc. It happens twice a month at La Guadalupana restaurant, and lately, it’s been standing room only.



Officer Alex Mancone led a discussion that centered on the New York Vehicle & Traffic laws. He and Officer Sal Ardisi went into detail about not only the dangers of drunk driving, but the consequences of driving without a license. The usual question came up: If you can’t get a license (lacking the documents to do so) and can’t drive, how do you work and feed your family? (The questioner said his boss could not pick him up for work every day.) The officers replied that those laws were above them, and that their job is simply to enforce the laws equally. They urged them to intervene if they saw anyone getting behind the wheel intoxicated. They also tried to assure the Latino men that they, as a group, were not being targeted.

At the same time there was a hearing at Southeast Town Hall, where the town board hosted a public forum in response to the June 8 crash. There was a panel of police and code enforcement officers talking about drunk driving and illegal immigration.





There was discussion of a proposed new law that would require all contractors doing business in town to use the E-Verify system to check their workers’ status, and to show proof at checkpoints and work sites. (Click here for today’s story.)

Reporter Marcela Rojas recorded some of the public comments:

Joe Mack of Southeast said he takes the 4:33 a.m. train to the city each morning and that there are always illegal aliens passed out on the tracks and urinating in the elevators. He said the problem must be addressed.
“Call it racial profiling,â€

Ana Lopez of Southeast said the accident was a result of the person driving drunk, not because of his immigration status. She said more should be done to control drunk driving.
“You can deport us all and you will still have this disease,â€