The Southern Poverty Law Center has a new report entitled "Climate of Fear/Latino Immigrants in Suffolk County, N.Y." about that county on Long Island, New York (splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=395). County executive Steve Levy has attempted to reduce illegal immigration in his county, such as by taking actions against residences where dozens of illegal aliens live; see this from 2005 and also this (involving then-Mexican consul Arturo Sarukhan) and this.

In the current case, the SPLC is trying to conflate Levy's efforts with violent attacks in that county, both reported and simply alleged. For instance:

As misguided young men have engaged in violent attacks on Latino immigrants in Suffolk County, N.Y., some local politicians on the sidelines have been playing the role of cheerleaders. Far from acting as peacemakers, they have fed the atmosphere of hostility with rhetorical attacks of their own.

County Executive Steve Levy isn't the only public official engaging in the verbal immigrant-bashing, or the most extreme. But he is the highest-ranking, and since he was elected to his first term in November 2003 after promising a crackdown on illegal immigrants, Levy has been acting like the enabler-in-chief.

Levy has, of course, made clear that he does not in any way condone violent actions and the like. In case there was even one person who takes the SPLC seriously, they should compare what they say to the facts of the matter. Note also that they sink even lower by claiming that a group he co-founded "promotes immigrant-cleansing ordinances". Even some in the MSM seem to be catching on to the SPLC's self-interested hyperbole.

On another page of their report, they mix reported and alleged crimes in with non-criminal acts such as attempts to pass laws or resolutions encouraging the INS to take actions. Note also that the SPLC admits that some of those involved in attacks on Hispanics were black, and they also include this example of the elites making things difficult for the non-elites:

Latino immigrants may find work in Suffolk County's rich seaside communities, but they live in the more affordable inland towns, alongside middle- and working-class American families who are more likely to view the brown-skinned newcomers as competitors for jobs than hired help.

That doesn't excuse race-based attacks, but it does point the blame at those who are ultimately responsible for the situation.

While editing for the SPLC's report is attributed to Mark Potok, they also include this:

Special thanks to the Hagedorn Foundation for its generous support of this project. Thanks also to the Center for American Progress.

Hagedorn was started by the founder of Miracle Gro, but more importantly it would be interestiing to know what role the Obama administration-linked CAP played in the report.