It only took the death of Marcelo Lucero, a pattern of attacks on immigrants and those that look liked immigrants (read Latinos). It only took the action, anger and sadness of a community tired of the same old happening under the selectively watchful eyes of those vowing to protect and serve everyone except people like us.

The U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District today announced the launching of a joint probe of Suffolk County’s handling of hate crimes against Latinos.

The investigation is in response to this complaint filed by the Manhattan-based LatinoJustice in the wake of the hate murder of Marcelo Lucero documenting a climate of hate and neglect towards Latino victims promoted and/or tolerated by Suffolk County officials.

Right after the murder of Lucero occurred, in a telephone conference, I asked specifically about if Long Island activists were considering asking the Feds for an investigation of not just the wave of hate crimes against immigrants, pero the practice of local law enforcement failing to act and in doing so condoning and perhaps even helping to cover up hate crimes. It has happened here in NYC. I keep drawing connections to the 1991 case of Dominican college student chased and beaten to death by a racist gang in Corona, Queens not just because I worked with the family for a number of years, but because there are parallels in terms of how both white communities of Corona and Suffolk County and law enforcement there acted and didn’t act.

Established white communities, and specifically in the case of Corona, Italian immigrants, didn’t and still don’t like newcomers, especially Latino immigrants and they support, either through outright violence or complicit silence, a hateful unwelcoming atmosphere to say the least.

A federal investigation won’t stop people from being attacked or killed, and those who expect it to yield something more than another report for people to cite are in for a disappointment. Pero it opens another battleground and trust me, this is a war where we must use all weapons available. People’s live depend on it.

Via / Latino Long Island x 2, Newsday