Controversy Continues over LA Police Killing of Guatemalan Day Laborer

Controversy continues to brew in Los Angeles over the Los Angeles Police Department’s shooting and killing of a Guatemalan day laborer, who according to police was wielding a knife (here is the LAPD perspective on the case) but one witness says the man was unarmed.  Protesters and police confronted each other earlier this week in the immigrant neighborhood of Westlake, where the shooting occurred.

The case illustrates a larger political process problem.  Immigrants — lawful and undocumented — live in our cities but cannot vote.  They can be made to feel that government is not responsive to their needs and, as in this case, may feel that their rights are violated with impunity.  Immigrants cannot help bring about change by elections, for example, by electing a new mayor.  Nor can they serve on juries, which might be viewed as helping to ensure the fair treatment of immigrants in the justice system.

Disenfranchised, immigrants comprise a large portions of some communities, such as Los Angeles and New York.  The larger the portion of the community feeling punished by government (and there are many examples over the last few years in, for example, Arizona, Hazleton, Farmer’s Branch, Valley Park, etc.) then tension and unrest can result.

KJ