By: Daniel Nardini
In Gainesville, Georgia, the local police have been empowered to check the immigration status of all driver’s, if the police believe they are “illegal,” even for minor traffic violations. This to put it mildly has scared the tar out of most of Gainesville’s Latino residents. Many are undocumented, and many are legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens. What they all object to is being profiled and being stopped not just because they may be violating traffic rules but because they are Latino. A number of legal cases have been brought against the police and the city for violating the rights of Latinos and immigrants, Sadly, this for now does not change the situation. The police have been given carte blanche to check the immigration status of all drivers who they believe may be “illegal.”
Regardless of what their status may be, many Latinos do not want to be the targets of what can only be seen as “police harassment.” Because of the present atmosphere in not only Gainesville but all across Georgia, a number of Latinos have left the state and even the country. Some have indeed “self-deported” themselves to whatever country they originally came from. Most immigrants, whether legal or not, do not have this option. They have family in Georgia, their jobs are there, and for those young people who were brought to Gainesville by their parents when they were small children, there is nowhere else they can go. More important than that, most Latinos have to drive in order to go to work. However, many fear being stopped, arrested, and for undocumented being deported. One of the solutions is the use of taxis to get around the problem of driving and getting to work.
Gainesville has eight taxi companies—all Latino owned. For a discount they can take Latinos from their homes to work and also shopping. This is a partial solution to escape being stopped by police and possibly arrested. If police were to stop and search taxis then it would cause even greater legal problems for the State of Georgia. So many Latinos are able to get around in taxis. It is not a good solution, but for so many Latinos it is better than being trapped at home and not being able to earn money and make a living. Again it all goes back to the debate on immigration reform versus law enforcement and whether the states should make their own immigration laws because they feel the federal government is “doing nothing.” For ordinary people, they have to live with a situation that is not in their control and find ways of making a living no matter what the circumstances.
Living in Fear in Georgia
By: Daniel Nardini
Regardless of what their status may be, many Latinos do not want to be the targets of what can only be seen as “police harassment.” Because of the present atmosphere in not only Gainesville but all across Georgia, a number of Latinos have left the state and even the country. Some have indeed “self-deported” themselves to whatever country they originally came from. Most immigrants, whether legal or not, do not have this option. They have family in Georgia, their jobs are there, and for those young people who were brought to Gainesville by their parents when they were small children, there is nowhere else they can go. More important than that, most Latinos have to drive in order to go to work. However, many fear being stopped, arrested, and for undocumented being deported. One of the solutions is the use of taxis to get around the problem of driving and getting to work.
Gainesville has eight taxi companies—all Latino owned. For a discount they can take Latinos from their homes to work and also shopping. This is a partial solution to escape being stopped by police and possibly arrested. If police were to stop and search taxis then it would cause even greater legal problems for the State of Georgia. So many Latinos are able to get around in taxis. It is not a good solution, but for so many Latinos it is better than being trapped at home and not being able to earn money and make a living. Again it all goes back to the debate on immigration reform versus law enforcement and whether the states should make their own immigration laws because they feel the federal government is “doing nothing.” For ordinary people, they have to live with a situation that is not in their control and find ways of making a living no matter what the circumstances.