Latino community uneasy about future

Fear. Anxiety. Desperation.

The N.C. Latino community is feeling all three with the increased attention on undocumented immigrants.

Their outlook is less than positive" and they don't expect their situation to significantly improve anytime soon. N.C. Latino advocates say the economic downturn and crackdown on illegal immigration are feeding the pessimism.

""Latinos particularly seem to have been hit hard by the downturn in the construction and labor markets"" said Mark Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center.

The fear mostly stems from law enforcement's spotlight on the Latino community and unclear consequences for minor infractions.

There's definitely a tangible sense of fear in the community right now with law enforcement" particularly because North Carolina has been one of the leaders in the 287(g) program" said Irene Godinez, advocacy director for El Pueblo, a Raleigh-based Latino advocacy group.

The 287(g) program partners local and state law enforcement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to help combat illegal immigration.

Godinez said Latinos feel they are targeted unfairly — random checkpoints are set up in areas Latinos frequent and target those driving without licenses instead of those who commit more serious crimes.

It's troublesome for the community because people don't know if it will happen to them when they walk out the door to drop their kids off at school"" she said.

However, law enforcement agents are experiencing some problems of their own.

Victims are afraid of telling police what happened because they think they might be sent to jail"" said Juan Sanchiz, Hispanic/Latino Outreach Program coordinator for the Burlington Police Department in Alamance County.

According to Sanchiz, the rumor mill has been working overtime by making Latinos wary of law enforcement officials.

 There have been fliers posted telling people to be aware of law enforcement because they might be deporting people"" he said.

Police do not know who is posting the fliers.

This pervasive concern in North Carolina is reflected across the country. A poll released recently by the Pew Hispanic Center, a research institution on the Latino population, reflected those negative sentiments.

 Fifty percent of those surveyed said Latinos' situations in the U.S. are worse than a year ago, and about 10 percent, both immigrants and U.S. citizens, said the police stopped and asked about their immigration status in the last year.

Latinos saying their situation is worse is a quick turnaround from last year when we asked them the same question"" Lopez said.

In 2007, not even half said their situation was worse that year than in 2006.

Victor Melendez, executive director of El Centro Latino, a Latino advocacy group in Carrboro, said it will take a combination of community and policy action to turn the situation around.

We're not a monolithic community; it's just give and take" he said. In smaller communities such as Chapel Hill and Carrboro" there's a better approach stemming from how people think. People here are more open and accepting.""



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