U.S. to Track Potential Harassment of New Voters

With activists voicing fears that new immigrant voters could face intimidation on election day, the Justice Department said Friday that it is closely monitoring reports of potential harassment, but is contemplating no special enforcement action.

“We are talking to the groups and we are monitoring the situation,” said Carole Florman, a Justice Department spokeswoman, who noted that U.S. attorney’s offices nationwide routinely set up election day units, with FBI agents on call. “The Justice Department stands ready to respond quickly,” she said.

However, Florman said no special steps--such as federal electoral monitors--are being contemplated in response to the reports.

Organizations representing Latino and Asian immigrants in California wrote to Atty. Gen. Janet Reno this week demanding a federal investigation into “mass intimidation.”at

In voicing alarm about potential harassment, the groups cited two recent developments: Allegations by Gov. Pete Wilson, presidential candidate Bob Dole and others that thousands of criminals have been wrongly granted citizenship; and plans by Los Angeles-area suburban activists--”self-appointed vigilantes,” in the words of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund--to distribute fliers near polls warning that noncitizens are not eligible to vote.

The controversy has arisen as hundreds of thousands of new citizens in California are poised to vote for the first time.

The governor’s office and the suburban groups planning the leafleting heatedly deny any intent to intimidate new citizens. But that has not assuaged concern among immigrant activists, who cite an incident eight years ago in Orange County in which the Republican Party posted uniformed guards at polling places in Santa Ana.

“We will not allow our new citizens to be intimidated,” said Father Rody Gorman, pastor of St. Mattias Roman Catholic Church in Huntington Park, a church involved in helping immigrants attain citizenship and register to vote.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone capturing video images of people near polling places “using intimidating and physical threats against voters.”