Owner of troubled mobile home park sues BIA

Friday, September 7, 2007  

The owner of a troubled mobile home park on the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Reservation is suing the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Harvey Duro says the BIA is trying to shut down the Desert Mobile Home Park -- also known as Duroville -- out of racial hatred towards Native Americans and Hispanics. Most of the 2,000 people who live at the park are Hispanic.

Duro singles out BIA superintendent James Fletcher as racist. Fletcher is a member of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.

"Racism is the furthest thing from my mind. These people need a safe place to live," Fletcher told The Los Angeles Times.

A BIA inspection of the park found overcrowded homes, unsafe drinking water, sewage leaking and electrical problems that could pose a risk of death and injury to residents. The agency plans to reopen a lawsuit against Duro in order to close the facility.

Get the Story:
Owner of Duroville trailer park strikes back at the BIA (The Los Angeles Times 9/7)
pwday

Relevant Links:
Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians - http://www.torresmartinez.org

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