A second wave of arrests of Latino immigrants looking for jobs outside
a convenience store is drawing attention to the treatment of immigrants
and pressuring officials to find an alternative day laborer site. A
town hall meeting Saturday is intended to address the issue and will
include Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, R-Va., and several state and county
officials. After the morning meeting, a group of day workers will meet
to protest the arrests. Last month, 24 laborers were charged with
loitering. Monday, three more were charged. Day laborer sites have
caused debate in several jurisdictions undergoing rapid demographic
change, such as Prince William Count (website -news) y, where Latinos
have grown to 16 percent of the population from 9 percent in the past
four years, according to county officials. Prince William's practice of
arresting Hispanic workers who congregate in hopes of getting day jobs
has been criticized as counterproductive by immigration advocates and
officials from other jurisdictions. At a time when ethnic gang violence
is becoming a growing law enforcement problem, police should be trying
to build ties with the Latino community, not sowing mistrust,
these critics said. [more]