Immigrants as Enemies?

The much-acclaimed British miniseries "Prime Suspect" dramatizes the activities of a female chief inspector in London, portrayed by Helen Mirren. What is intriguing about the program is watching the similarities in the problems of that community and our own.

The sixth entry of the series starts with a group of itinerant workers waiting for construction trucks to pick them up for a day of labor. Most of the men are Eastern European, Jamaican, or Spanish workers and the drama hints that many may be illegal immigrants.

When the body of a Bosnian woman is found on one of the sites, the immigrant workers flee instead of staying around to be questioned by the police. Interviewing the frightened sister of the murder victim, the inspector tells her, "We're not immigration. We're the police and we're only interested in solving this crime."

Three weeks ago, Daniel Donovan, the district attorney of Staten Island, was expressing the same sentiment. He was holding a town hall meeting in Christ the King Chapel in Port Richmond with a Mexican audience to ad dress the issue of unreported crimes on members of that community.

With the help of his newly hired assistant district attorney Carol Villegas, who interpreted for him, Mr. Donovan stood in the center of the aisle and earnestly pleaded with the crowd: "I ask you to trust the police. I ask you to trust my office. We do not care about your immigrant status. We are not here to ask if you are paying taxes. If you are a victim of a crime, report it to the police. We will catch the criminals and we will prosecute them."

The newly elected district attorney is determined to cut down on the crime that is plaguing the area, but in order to do that he needs the cooperation of a reluctant and frightened community.

On a street near Port Richmond Avenue, Mexican immigrants eagerly await the contractors who come by in their vans and trucks to hire the day workers. The lucky men who get chosen also end up being the targets of criminals who lay in wait for the workers who get paid in cash. Because the victims are reluctant to report these crimes for fear of being deported, they become easy pickings for the thugs.

Mr. Donovan introduced a woman who, he says, was brave enough to come forth and report her assault last October. The woman had jotted down the license number of her assailant's car and this led to his conviction last month.

Assistant District Attorney Rick Pasacreta told the audience how he prosecuted the case. He also shared how he learned after the conviction that this same man had attacked five women in the past who were too frightened to follow through with testifying against the man.

Mr. Donovan again asked those present for their cooperation.

"If you are a victim of crime, if you see a crime, call 911. There is always a Spanish-speaking person to take your call."

As I looked around the church pews at the men, women, and many children who had come to hear the Island's highest authority figure pledge his help for them, I saw several individuals nod their head in agreement. At the same time, I felt slightly disoriented, as if something was out of synch.

One woman sat stoically with her husband and five small children. I noticed her prematurely aged hands as she brushed a strand of black hair behind her ears. The faces of the children were pure Aztecan, with dark smiling eyes that peeked at me over the edge of the pew.

I thought, what would Pat Buchanan or Bill O'Reilly think about these people? According to their rants these are the enemy, aren't they? The illegals. We must get out the National Guard to shoot them coming over the border. Right? Our national security depends on sending them back where they came from.

Yet here was a tall Irishman offering his protection and friendship to them with all the power of his office. The audience felt his sincerity and Mr. Donovan also displayed an understanding of their hesitation in speaking out loud during the Q &A session. He offered the assistance of two Spanish-speaking police officers in addition to Ms. Villegas to take down any information in confidence.

Immigration is a thorny issue with many Americans, and especially conservatives threatening to bolt unless Bush takes a harder stand against illegals. It's easy to pontificate when all you're dwelling on are the sheer numbers of invading aliens to fuel one's xenophobia. I've learned it's a different situation when you watch hard-working human beings coming out of their shells because someone is promising to help them.

In "Prime Suspect," the victims were fair-haired and blue-eyed Eastern Europeans, but the dialogue could have been written for the brown-skinned crowd spread out in the pews on Staten Island.

One woman who is later murdered explains to the inspector why she did not come forward with information. "I know you despise us. How you think we are less than you because we do the filthy jobs, but we are not. We came to this country to be safe."

Didn't we all?