Possible Lawsuit in Connecticut

A group of students at Yale Law School is expected to file suit today in federal court in a bid to find out how the Department of Homeland Security put together its immigration sting in Danbury, Conn. n Sept. 19. Questions linger about the methods used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that September day in rounding up 11 immigrants, all from Ecuador. The day laborers have become a symbol for both sides in the immigration debate: those insisting on equal rights for all, and those pushing for tighter borders and tougher enforcement of national immigration laws. The Yale law students want to know what role Danbury played in the operation and if the policies guiding the department’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm may be unconstitutional. Their inquiry began with a request under the federal Freedom of Information Act. “We asked nicely,” said Simon Moshenberg, a second-year student from Washington, D.C. “They didn’t answer. We sued.” The lawsuit is an attempt to shine light on Homeland Security’s secretive post-9/11 strategies. There is reason to suspect the local authorities played a role in the sting. Mayor Mark Boughton, a Republican who speaks some Spanish, has been accused of selectively enforcing city ordinances to drive away unwanted immigrants. Under his watch, the city has cracked down on housing code violations, minor driving infractions and late night volleyball games. Boughton denies any part in the September sting, but a series of events, summarized in the suit, suggest the city may have played a supporting role.   Click here for the full story.

Is it just me or does it seem that ICE enforcement operations have gone up lately?

KJ