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WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and Latino groups on Tuesday denounced the beating death of an Ecuadorean immigrant, saying it shows the need for a federal hate-crimes law.
Jose Osvaldo Sucuzhanay, an Ecuadorean immigrant living in New York, was beaten Dec. 7 by men who yelled anti-Hispanic and anti-gay slurs at him and his brother. Police are still searching for suspects.
Latino leaders said that considering what appeared to be rising anti- Latino sentiment, Congress should pass legislation to expand the federal Matthew Shepard Act, adding protections for bias crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation and disabilities, and expand Justice Department’s investigative powers.
