Immigrants In New Haven Raid Appear In Court

Published on 6/15/2007 in Home »State »State News
Hartford (AP) — Fifteen people arrested during recent immigration raids in New Haven will remain in federal custody while attorneys prepare to argue next week for lower bonds.
The 15, who appeared in federal immigration court Thursday, are among 31 people known to have been arrested during an immigration sweep of the city's largely Hispanic Fair Haven neighborhood last week.

They return to court June 20.

Their attorneys and law students from Yale and the University of Connecticut said Thursday they will highlight the detainees' community ties, family commitments and other factors showing they would be unlikely to flee if released on bond.

Equally important, the attorneys say, they want to present evidence to support claims that the raids were not properly conducted.

They say immigration agents entered homes without authorization, refused to identify themselves and detained people passing by on the street who “appear to have been singled out because of their appearance,â€