Immigration flashpoint: Hostilities high in Waukegan
Immigration flashpoint: Hostilities high in Waukegan
by Ambreen Ali
Aug 23, 2007
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chi ... x?id=59971
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The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement has been organizing Waukegan residents to boycott those businesses that supported the new immigration measure.
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Many businesses have signs proclaiming their opposition to Waukegan's immigration measure, some out of fear of being boycotted.
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Emma Lozano, right, explains to local residents why her organization, Pueblo sin Fronteras, is boycotting businesses in Waukegan.
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Waukegan mayor Richard Hyde supports the immigration measure that gives enforcement authority to local police. He said it will help make the city more attractive to business and new residents.
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Waukegan's Hispanic majority is evident in the many Latino businesses in town. Area Latinos mostly work in nearby pharmaceutical companies and in service jobs.
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Many Latinos accuse Waukegan police officers of targeting them with towing and immigration initiatives.
Residents continue to boycott some Waukegan businesses that support the town's efforts to enforce immigration law while a counter boycott targets stores that oppose it.
The tension seething in Waukegan reflects a microcosm of the national immigration debate. That debate ignited locally when the town introduced a proposal last month to grant local law enforcement the power to deport convicted felons living there illegally.
The street in front of city hall was the focus of attention when aldermen voted 8-2 in favor of the measure.
More than 3,000 protestors chanted against the proposal in a town that has a Hispanic majority. Riot-geared officers with muzzled dogs separated them from the several hundred supporters also present.
“We told them over a bullhorn that this is not a cheerleading conference,â€