Anti-Defamation League offers recommendations to counter anti-immigrant atmosphere
ADL OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP COUNTER
ANTI-IMMIGRANT ATMOSPHERE IN SUFFOLK COUNTY
New York, NY, … Emphasizing the importance of anti-bias education and the need to forge positive relationships between immigrant communities and law enforcement, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) offered recommendations to help counter a growing atmosphere of anti-immigrant hatred and violence in Suffolk County, Long Island.
Presenting at a public hearing before the Suffolk County Hate Crimes Task Force, the League delivered a series of recommendations before community members, political figures and law enforcement officials.
“We stand in solidarity with the victimized immigrants of Suffolk County to decry the violence directed at them in recent months,” Sonia Spar, ADL Latino Relations Analyst, told the task force. “We believe there is a direct connection between the tone of the immigration debate and the daily lives of immigrants across the country, and Suffolk County is no exception.”
The League’s recommendations included: the need for community leaders to speak out against anti-immigrant and anti-Latino rhetoric; the importance of forging constructive relationships between law enforcement and immigrant communities; and the need for anti-bias education and outreach to students, educators, parents and law enforcement.
The hearing was held in Patchogue, New York -- site of the November 2008 murder of Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero, allegedly carried out by seven teens who reportedly drove around searching for an Hispanic to attack.
The Suffolk County Hate Crimes Task Force was created to examine the sources of tensions between different communities in the County that result in hate crimes, to study and analyze the mechanism used to report hate crimes in the County, and provide recommendations on current hate crime legislation.
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.
