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Human rights complaint: U.S. Hispanics 'are being targeted'
posted by Victor Manuel Ramos on Dec. 18, 2008 6:46:59 PM

A Latino advocacy group in New York has filed an international petition against the United States of America, charging that the government has fostered an anti-immigrant climate and then stood idly by as the human rights of Hispanics are violated.

The allegations were brought by LatinoJustice PRLDEF -- a New York City group formerly known as the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund -- in a petition before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which is part of the Organization of American States.

The petition is based on the cases of eight Hispanics, including three who died as a result of brutal attacks, as well as the bias incidents that have affected "other unidentified or unknown victims of hate crimes targeting Latinos and/or undocumented immigrants."

In one of the most recent cases, José O. Sucuzhañay, an Ecuadorean immigrant living in Brooklyn, N.Y., was beaten with a bottle and baseball bat earlier this month by men shouting anti-Hispanic and anti-gay slurs. He died from his injuries.

In essence, the filing seeks to shame the federal government before the international arena of public opinion over what the group says is the anti-Hispanic rhetoric and aggressive enforcement tactics that surfaced out of the immigration debate.

None of the original petitioners are from Florida, but the case seeks to represent Hispanics affected by hate incidents anywhere within the U.S. territory. The group said it is seeking to partner with organizations throughout the country to embolden its case.

The petition alleges that "The United States is failing to meet its obligation to ensure the security of Latinos who are residing in the United States."

"Latinos," the filing goes on, "are being targeted, attacked, brutalized and murdered because of their race and ethnicity, and increasingly because of their perceived immigration status in incidents with rising frequency and severity throughout the United States."

This appears to be the first case of its kind against the U.S.

LatinoJustice President César Perales told me that his group decided to pursue this route out of frustration with immigration policies and the ensuing hate crimes.

By ignoring the problem, Perales said, the United States is violating the very human rights it has defended as an essential part of democracy all over the world.

"There is no legal remedy in our courts to do anything about the climate of opinion that has led to these violent attacks against Latinos," Perales said. "Our petition says that the U.S. government has failed in its basic responsibility to protect the safety of the residents of the United States and that there is a particular class of residents, Latinos, who are not being protected."

The case cites the well-documented rise in hate crimes against Latinos as well as the George W. Bush administration's step-up in immigration enforcement -- an approach that, according to the filing, started in Florida as local police agencies entered cooperation agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as early as 2002.

It all creates a perception, said Perales, where undocumented immigrants --and Hispanics who are thought to be in the country illegally-- are seen as having no right to live in this nation.

"The Declaration of Human Rights has nothing to do with legal residents. It refers to rights that you have because you are human beings and as such you have the right to be safe," Perales told me.

The petition asks for the Commission on Human Rights to 1) Hold hearings to examine the allegations; 2) Launch an investigation into cases where the human rights of people have been violated because of their Hispanic ethnicity.

Perales said that all the group wants is for the U.S. government to acknowledge the problem and agree on a corrective plan to stem the tide of hate.

The U.S. has yet to formally respond to these allegations.

For more information:

Visit the LatinoJustice PRLDEF website and read their official press release.
Read the entire filing in the case (be warned some of the language may be considered graphic and offensive).
Visit the site of the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights.
Visit the site of the Office of Detention and Removal of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Other coverage:

Rights group accuses U.S. of failing to protect Latinos.
Complaint targeting hate crimes cites LI attacks.

VÃ*ctor Manuel Ramos can be reached at vramos@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6186.

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