A recent report said that Waukegan had over 3,000 gang members. Our police chief said, no, we 'only' have 1,488. So although I'm thrilled they took away some -ICE needs to come back please.

Amazing!!! The prayer vigil was crashed by those who have been affected by illegal alien gang members. Although, typical of the reporter to use the word 'crash.' I wish I had gone last night to see this go down...


Victims of gang crimes say: 'Justice finally'
They crash prayer vigil of those facing deportation

September 1, 2007
By RYAN PAGELOW Rpagelow@scn1.com

WAUKEGAN -- While relatives of immigrants facing deportation held prayer vigils, victims of past crimes committed by some of those arrested feel their own prayers have finally been answered.

One of those, Rosa Garcia, said her son, Oscar, was shot 15 years ago by one of the gang members detained during the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown this week. Her son, who is now 34, has been in a wheelchair since then and cannot walk.

» Click to enlarge image

A prayer vigil was held Thursday night in front of the INS Application Center in Waukegan led by local immigrant rights organizations.
(Marina Samovsky/News-Sun)

» Click to enlarge image

Carina Rios comforts nephew Junior Rios, whose father was arrested Sunday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.


Lake County detainees
Waukegan: 16

Round Lake Beach: 6

Mundelein: 5

North Chicago: 5

Round Lake: 3

Park City: 2

Gurnee: 1

Lake Villa: 1

SOURCE: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
"We're getting some justice finally," Garcia said. "It took me a lot of years, but God heard my prayers."

"The gangbangers, I want them out. I don't want them here," said Karen Vanheirseele of Waukegan. "If they have committed a crime, they have to pay for it."

She also said immigration officials dropped the ball by not deporting immigrants when they were first convicted of a deportable offense.

Families of those snared in the dragnet and facing deportation held prayer vigils Thursday and Friday. More than 50, mostly women and children, gathered at Thursday's prayer vigil outside a citizenship application support center at Green Bay Road and Washington Street.

Angelica Wence of Gurnee and her three children prayed for her fiancé, Rogelio Rios, 29, who was detained Tuesday night in their home. She said her fiancé is a construction worker and was convicted of misdemeanor battery in 1996, but believes he is not a gang member.

Rios was born in Michoacan, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States when he was three years old. Although he is a U.S. permanent resident and his fiancé and children are U.S. citizens, he never applied to become a U.S. citizen, said his mother, Guadalupe Rios.

"He didn't think about becoming a citizen. He never thought this would happen," she said.

Julio Santos of the organization United Voices for United Families in Chicago helped organize the vigils. She said some of the permanent residents detained in the raids had already gone through the penal system for their crimes and asked why immigration officials targeted them this week, years after their convictions.

Immigration authorities working with local police arrested 58 Mexican nationals with ties to gangs in and around Lake County during the sweep.

Eight Lake County communities were involved in the immigration raid. Those who are deported may not return to the United States for at least 10 years.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... S1.article