Thread: Debate over Special Order 40 heightens fears of day laborers

Debate over LAPD's Special Order 40 heightens fears of day laborers

By Ari B. Bloomekatz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 20, 2008

Guatemalan immigrant Diego Cap, one of several hundred day laborers who look for work each day along a stretch of Oxnard Street in Van Nuys, said the proposed changes to Special Order 40 would only make people even more afraid to talk to police.

"If we have a problem, we're not going to call" police, said Cap, 50.

Joel Mazariagos, another day laborer, said the controversy surrounding Special Order 40 made him and other immigrants uneasy. He said there is already a strong fear of deportation among day laborers and talking to police about anything can be unnerving.

"I feel bad about it. We should all be brothers," said Mazariagos, 30, who emigrated from Guatemala five years ago. "I don't feel like a criminal, but the laws make me feel like one."

Pointing to the scattered groups of laborers standing along the street, he said that if police were allowed to randomly question people on the streets about their immigration status, immigrants would be afraid to openly look for work.

"Everyone would leave," he said.

Antonio Bernabe, an organizer with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, walks Oxnard Street each day, handing out fliers informing laborers of their rights when looking for work or if stopped by police.

He said he has been trying to increase communication between police and day laborers and now holds monthly meetings between immigrants and the area's senior lead officers.

As part of a pilot project, Bernabe also issues immigrant workers a blue-and-white identification card to show to authorities.

"When [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] comes to the corner, they've got to have an ID," Bernabe said.

He said the proposed changes to Special Order 40 would only erode the already fragile relationship between police and immigrants.

He said the real crime would be that day laborers along Oxnard Street would seldom be able to find work for a living wage. "These people are desperate to work," Bernabe said.

Cap said the proposed changes have profound implications and are part of a larger move to further criminalize illegal immigrants.

"We'll have to rally May 1," he said.

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 6205.story

I feel bad about it. We should all be brothers," said Mazariagos, 30, who emigrated from Guatemala five years ago. "I don't feel like a criminal, but the laws make me feel like one."

Huh? Hello, could it be because you are breaking the law by virtue of your illegal entry/presence, which means you ARE A CRIMINAL. Whether you feel like one or not is beside the point.

Pointing to the scattered groups of laborers standing along the street, he said that if police were allowed to randomly question people on the streets about their immigration status, immigrants would be afraid to openly look for work.

"Everyone would leave," he said.

Gee, sounds like a win win situation to me.

As part of a pilot project, Bernabe also issues immigrant workers a blue-and-white identification card to show to authorities.

Another phony ID what a joke who pays this guy?

"Everyone would leave," he said.

Yippee.

Free the police to do their jobs. No wonder the city is overrun by gangs. Heck with the mayor. Dump Order 40. Get the criminals off our streets.

if they are illegal then they BETTER BE AFRAID

Originally Posted by jamesw62

if they are illegal then they BETTER BE AFRAID

"Everyone would leave," he said.

THAT'S the point, Einstein!

Good, good, good!!! If you are an illegal YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID, VERY AFRAID, AND YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT YOUR IN THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY!!

Sorry I had to yell but I think we are getting very tired of the pro-illegal invader groups spewing about the fear their beloved illegals are forced to live with on a daily basis. If they are afraid, that means we are headed in the right direction!

More lazy, biased reporting from the LA Times. First, why the focus on day laborers? The minor proposed changes to Special Order 40 have nothing to do with day laborers, just illegal alien GANG MEMBERS.

Interestingly, note how the day laborer said if "immigrants" (i.e., illegal aliens) couldn't openly look for work, "Everyone would leave." This shows how we don't have deport millions of IAs, just cut off the jobs etc.

But again, Jamiel's Law and Dennis Zine's motion just deal with IA gang members -whom the radical LA City Council and the mayor apparently want to proetct.

He said the real crime would be that day laborers along Oxnard Street would seldom be able to find work for a living wage. "These people are desperate to work," Bernabe said.

Nice spin , these people should not be taking jobs meant for citizens and legal immigrants, THAT's the real crime!