Protest to greet deportation vote
Hundreds expected to rally in Waukegan

By Andrew L. Wang
Tribune staff reporter

July 16, 2007

Waukegan is bracing for activists from all sides of the immigration debate to descend on the city Monday for a City Council vote that will decide whether the city pursues a federal deportation program.

The Police Department, which expects hundreds, if not thousands, to turn out for the meeting and a preceding protest, is limiting attendance at the 8 p.m. meeting to 400 members of the public and requiring anyone who wants to go to first get a ticket.

Lake County officials are shutting down government offices, located across the street from where demonstrators will set up shop, at 4 p.m.

Latino activists plan to hold a news conference, prayer vigil and rally at 5 p.m.

At issue is a federal training program for local and state law-enforcement agencies that would allow officers to enforce immigration laws and initiate deportation proceedings.

What started out with a whisper -- no members of any activist group were at the June 18 meeting when the Waukegan council voted 7-2 to authorize police to apply for the program -- has turned into a roar.

Mayor Richard Hyde and other officials have said the program, referred to as 287(g) after a section of the federal Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, would allow officers to start deportation proceedings for immigrants -- legal or illegal -- convicted of crimes such as murder, rape and drug-related felonies. The goal is to oust criminals, not persecute immigrants obeying the law, Hyde said.

But Latino activists argue that the program could lead to abuses by police against the Spanish-speaking immigrant community and would prevent some from reporting crimes to authorities for fear of being deported.

At the council meeting Monday, aldermen are set to revote on authorizing Police Chief William Biang to apply to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to participate in the program.

If the council votes to continue pursuing the program, Latino activists have threatened to boycott businesses that don't disapprove of it.

William Gheen, national head of Americans for Legal Immigration, said several local groups that support the program will attend the meeting.

"We're [going to be] there in support of the existing laws and in support of 287(g)," he said.

Waukegan police advised anyone who wishes to attend the meeting to get tickets starting at 4 p.m. at the south Beach House of the Waukegan Municipal Beach, located at the south end of Sea Horse Drive.