In a brazen attempt to intimidate the immigrant community, armed federal agents in bulletproof vests raided the Community Action Agency in New Haven, Conn. on Dec. 12, 2007.
What was the supposed “crime” that induced the raid? The CAA, which distributes state and federal funds for home heating aid, processed a small number of aid applications without requiring social security numbers. Some of the persons that received aid may have been undocumented immigrants.
The raid comes as heating costs have been sharply increasing. According to the Department of Energy, heating costs are up by 10.9 percent from last year. The cost of heating oil, which is used by more than half of the homes in Connecticut, has increased by 30 percent since 2006. The average home burns 850 gallons a year, costing more than $2,600. Many families cut down on other essentials, including food and clothing, in order to heat their homes.
The raid was carried out by 10 agents, who interrupted a busy day of processing applications for heating aid. CAA Director Amos Smith described the police action: “It was scary initially. This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They came with Kevlar. Guns at their side. They came in yelling. They had positioned themselves so that everybody could shut the process down all at the same time.” (New Haven Independent, Dec. 14, 2007)
The agents then separated the employees and questioned them in separate rooms.
In reality, the raid had little to do with which residents of Connecticut receive aid and everything to do with racist intimidation. Less than 0.15 percent of the aid applications did not have security numbers.
While very few undocumented immigrants actually received aid, this raid using armed federal agents was clearly an attempt to foment racism by signaling that attacks and violence targeting immigrants and their supporters is sanctioned by the federal government.
Basic necessities like home heat are basic rights for everyone. The immigrant community of Connecticut and all those in solidarity will continue to stand up for their rights and against racist threats and intimidation.
