Judge: Westchester Village Discriminated Against Day Laborers

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - A federal judge ruled Monday that the Village of Mamaroneck discriminated against Hispanic day laborers when it closed a hiring site and stepped up police patrols on the streets where they looked for work.

The ruling could influence the treatment of day laborers elsewhere around the country, where they have become an increasingly visible symbol of the immigration issue as they solicit construction and landscaping jobs.

"We're very pleased. The court found that indeed the Village of Mamaroneck had engaged in intentional discrimination and was motivated by racism," said Cesar Perales, president of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, which represented the day laborers.

Mr. Perales said the decision "means a great deal nationally. This is the first time that a federal court has in fact determined that actions of municipalities can be unconstitutional when directed at immigrant laborers."

Six immigrant workers - all identified as John Doe for fear of retaliation by police or immigration authorities - had sought an injunction against what they called harassment, selective law enforcement and ethnic discrimination. They said the village violated their right to equal protection.