An interesting article, Criminals Target Hispanic Undocumented Immigrants, by the Utne Reader discusses how immigrant communities are victims of crime more often than ordinary citizens, and how a lack of trust in law enforcement contributes to the problem.
Thieves and violent criminals frequently target Hispanic immigrants in U.S. cities, zeroing in on a community that, due to an often justified distrust of law enforcement, is unlikely to report being victimized. Especially vulnerable are people who are undocumented.
“Day laborers operate in a shadow economy, where they are often paid under the table, in cash,” writes Urbanite (June 2009). Those who are here illegally “are reluctant to use U.S. banks or report crime to the police for fear of deportation.” And in some neighborhoods, come Friday—payday—“predators know their pockets are full.”
Read the entire article at http://www.utne.com/Politics/Criminals-Target-Hispanic-Undocumented-Immigrants.aspx