Latino freelance photographer, while working to document evidence of of illegal dumping, discovered the body of a woman in a plastic bag. Startled, Geraldo Carlos went to the East Ward Police Station in Newark, NJ to report the finding, which resulted in a homocide investigation. However, while at the crime scene police officers asked Carlos about his immigration status. Carlos admitted that his visa had expired, at which point the officers proceeded to confiscate his camera and resulted in Carlos being briefly detained. This disturbing story has created a widespread fear of reporting crimes in the undocumented Latino community, fearing that their reports might lead to detainment, fines or deportation.
Yet another example of the fact that fearing immigrants and discriminating against us is bad for everybody.
–Verónica Bayetti Flores
