Letter: Threats to Immigrants
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To the Editor:
In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, seeking to use a federal law to override the "sanctuary" policies of free states that provided safety to anyone fleeing bondage who crossed their state lines.
However, the newly empowered federal marshals (and a number of private citizens) not only went after those who had fled their chains, but stopped anyone whose skin tone was insufficiently pale. Even if the "suspect" presented evidence of free status, they could see their papers ripped up and be sent into slavery.
Today, 175 years later, does this begin to sound familiar?
Anne Skinner
Williamstown, Mass.
