Tag Archives: Immigration

Chief seeks to build bridges

Leave a reply

By Jesse Mendoza

South Gate, CA

Princeton Police Chief Nick Sutter understands why immigrant families might be fearful of the police. Sutter, a department veteran of 24 years, has always been aware of the possible disconnect between the police department and immigrant communities.

According to Sutter, immigrants are oftentimes wary of interacting with police because they fear deportation. Yet, Sutter is concerned how misconceptions of law enforcement can discourage and deter immigrants in the community from calling for help when in need.

Sutter recalls a situation in his career when an undocumented, Hispanic man was sent to the hospital after a gruesome beating left him horribly injured to the point of comatose.

Sutter tried to question the victim’s family to find possible leads. He was certain that the family knew who the culprit was, but the undocumented relatives resisted interacting with the police. Because Sutter understood why the family was fearful around investigators, he made the conscious decision to stop approaching the family and find alternative witnesses.

Despite the additional time and energy, Sutter was eventually able to find the culprit.

On a recent afternoon, Sutter walked into a Princeton classroom wearing a light blue suit and a gentle smile. Using a calm yet confident tone, he introduced himself as the Police Chief of Princeton, then sat down, maintaining his dominant stature. “If [an immigrant’s] child is sick,” Sutter said, “We don’t want them not to dial 9-1-1 because they are scared that we’re going to ask about their immigration status.”

Sutter is determined the change the perception that police might ask about immigration status not only for immigrants but for the wider Princeton community. Sutter has implemented procedures that are similar to sanctuary cities with policies that limit cooperation with the federal government in enforcing immigration law.

In Princeton, immigrants won’t be asked their citizenship status unless they’re arrested for a crime such as driving under the influence.

Sutter has also pushed for “community policing events,” where law enforcement can socialize with immigrants. Every squad on the force is required to participate in an event such as a car wash or barbeque to get to know the wider Princeton community.

Misconceptions aren’t only an issue for police officers and immigrants, but also a problem for doctors and politicians and professionals in other fields. Sutter knows that such perceptions are harmful and false and has made it his mission to change them.

Princetonians divided on immigration border crisis

Leave a reply

By Paige Pagan
Bronx, N.Y.

Tens of thousands of undocumented, unaccompanied minors from Central America have recently passed over the United States border. Parents from countries including Guatemala and Honduras have been paying smugglers in a desperate attempt to have their children whisked away to the safety of the United States.

This ever-growing problem is focused in Texas. Containment hotels and refugee camps are being filled by the day, and places to send these incoming children are increasingly running out. Now, some view government officials as babysitters to care for these children. Continue reading →

Children at border should be given a chance

Leave a reply

By Diego Pineda
Raleigh, N.C.

Tens of thousands of children from Central America are currently in detention centers around the border area. After traveling thousands of miles — trekking on top of a train known as “La Bestia” (“The Beast”) and crossing the desert —  these innocent children were caught by the United States Border Patrol as they had one foot inside and the other foot outside of making their dreams come true.

Escaping violence, poverty, deficiency of resources and persecution, the children are only seeking a light to the end of their tunnel. This tunnel might be dark and lonely as they walk through a desert that undergoes extremes of hot and cold temperatures. As they make their way through the Central American borders and Mexico, they tend to lack food and shelter. Everywhere they go there are dangerous people who try to sexually abuse them or get them to join gangs. Continue reading →

Princetonians express mixed feelings on border crisis

Leave a reply

By Vanessa Zamora
Vista, Calif.

As the border crisis in Texas worsens daily, with an average of 155 undocumented children crossing every day, the opinions of Americans have grown more complicated. Recent interviews of Princeton residents confirm the complex and conflicted nature of the crisis.

“It’s not a humanitarian crisis — it’s a safety crisis,” said Steve Beamer, 61, of Princeton. When asked if he thought the children’s reason for crossing the border was valid, he replied, “It’s a good excuse.”

Beamer said that he had no problem with immigration, and that he knows that the United States was built upon immigrants. However, he believes that it should be done through legal means. Continue reading →

Princetonians divided on border crisis

Leave a reply

By Razia Sultana
Brooklyn, N.Y.

The recent crisis at the Southwestern border of Texas has sparked a dialogue within Princeton. On a recent Saturday, residents offered their perspectives on the controversial topic, adding to an ongoing national conversation.

Since last October, there has been an influx of undocumented immigrants entering the United States. According to the New York Times, nearly 63,000 undocumented minors remain detained in hotel spaces throughout the country. Congress continues to debate possible solutions for this humanitarian crisis. Continue reading →

Sympathy, concern for minors at border

Leave a reply

By Kaygon Finakin
Bronx, N.Y.

On Aug. 2 canvassing of Princeton residents exposed a range of views on the ongoing immigration crisis along the United States border with Mexico. The sudden influx of unaccompanied Central American children began in October, due to a spike in gang violence in their native countries. Smugglers promise desperate families that children will be able to stay in the U.S. if they cross the border.

Some Princeton residents expressed sympathy for the children.

“The younger kids were forced,” said John Jones, 17, a student. Jones said the U.S. was “somewhat responsible” for these children, and argued they did not make the decision to come over by themselves.

“They’re pretty much in an entirely other world,” he added. “They had no choice.”

Joseph McHale, a newspaper publisher, agreed with that sentiment. “America is a country that looks out for others,” said the 61-year-old.

But others assigned more responsibility to the migrants.

Mike Souciy, 37, suggested that the young refugees should be deported. He said the U.S. does not have the room or resources to support these “unwanted” Central American children.

Souciy implied that this issue has existed for decades, and said he did not blame President Obama for the situation. “It was the predecessors,” he said.

“We could begin to blame those who created the constitution. [They] shouldn’t have made it such a free country,” Souciy said.

According to Souciy, a solution can be found in “a big wall,” and the immigrants “should go somewhere that wants them.”

However, more residents agreed with Rutgers University professor Holly Nelson, who called the border crisis “a disaster.”

“We should be embarrassed,” Nelson said. “This is a humanitarian crisis.”

A new life in a new country

Leave a reply

By Jingwei Zhang
Oakland, Calif.

At five years old, I moved thousands of miles away and across an ocean, from a village in the Guangzhou province of China to Oakland, Calif. My parents were farmers who wanted me to have a better life, and they had heard that America was a land of opportunity. But it wasn’t until many years later that I realized the difference between my new home and the world I left behind. Continue reading →

Finding my home in the city that never sleeps

Leave a reply

By Sara Solano
New York, N.Y.

I was 13 years old when my parents announced that we would be moving from our home in the Dominican Republic to New York City. My parents made a bad investment with the family business, and thought that we would have better opportunities in America.

This transition meant the end of gymnastics, cheerleading, art class, and soccer. I had to leave my friends and everything that was important to me. We applied for a visa, and on July 27, 2010, we arrived in New York to embark on a new journey.  Continue reading →