Thread: ALIPAC Tickets for council meeting under fire in Waukegan

Tickets for council meeting under fire in Waukegan
Immigrant advocate files for restraining order

By Andrew L. Wang
Tribune staff reporter
Published July 16, 2007, 4:06 PM CDT

UPDATE: A judge has ordered Waukegan city officials to distribute half of the tickets for tonight's council meeting at City Hall, which is accessible by public transportation, instead of handing all out at a city property at 201 Seahorse Dr. that Mexican American activists said would be too "inconvenient" for some people to attend.

A Mexican-American group has filed for a temporary-restraining order in Lake County, calling on a judge to order Waukegan officials to adhere to the state Open-Meetings Act.

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

The council is slated to take a vote on whether to apply for a controversial federal training program that would empower Waukegan police to enforce immigration laws and initiate deportation proceedings against immigrants who have committed serious crimes, such as rape, murder and drug offenses.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, acting on behalf of three Waukegan plaintiffs, filed for the restraining order this morning, arguing that the location where police are distributing tickets for the meeting is difficult to get to and will prevent some people from attending.

"The ticket distribution system for admission to the City Council meeting violates the Open Meetings Act because it is needlessly inconvenient for interested members of the public who wish to attend the meeting," the request for a restraining order stated. "Plaintiffs have a right to attend the City Council meeting without the inconvenience and burden necessitated by the proposed ticket-distribution system."

Police have said tickets will be available starting at 4 p.m. at the south Beach House of the Waukegan Municipal Beach, located at the south end of Sea Horse Drive.

But City Hall, at 100 Martin Luther King Ave., is about two miles from the ticketing site, and there is no public transportation there, nor are there sidewalks, according to the court filing.

As of about 1 p.m., attorneys for both the city and Legal Defense Fund were waiting for a judge to weigh the order.

Meanwhile, officials are bracing for activists from all sides of the immigration debate to descend on the city in advance of the vote.

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.

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 training 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 today's council meeting, 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.
alwang@tribune.com

Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... i-news-hed

Hi guys!!

I was at the Lake at 11:00 am and was interviewed by NBC, ABC, CBS and WGN and also the local newspaper. I brought my daughter with me to get a ticket, but she won't be going to the meeting. I'll use her ticket to give to William or somebody on 'our' side!

I GOT TICKET #1!!!!!!!!

Feeling a little light-headed...came home to cool off...will be meeting up with Fred and W in about an hour.

Thanks for all your support!!

Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!!

Protest to greet deportation vote
Hundreds expected to rally in Waukegan

By Andrew L. Wang
Tribune staff reporter
Published 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.

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alwang@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... hicago-hed

I'm sorry but you can't pack thousands of people in a building meant for a small town city council.

We had the same problem here in Greeley when the city council was voting on whether or not to ask for a local ICE office here. A local illegal alien support group bussed in hundreds of people to the city council building. Some had to stand outside, some were at locations with live broadcasting. The public wasn't allowed to speak at that particular council meeting.

This meeting needs to be ran the same way. Limited tickets, sorry if you can't get to where they are at, thats not my fault. How are you going to get to the council meeting if you can't make it somewhere to get a ticket.

You've had time to call council members, don't claim "I'm discriminated against" because now you can't get a ticket and get in.

Way to go, thanks for standing up for us!

Originally Posted by BlessUSA

Hi guys!!

I was at the Lake at 11:00 am and was interviewed by NBC, ABC, CBS and WGN and also the local newspaper. I brought my daughter with me to get a ticket, but she won't be going to the meeting. I'll use her ticket to give to William or somebody on 'our' side!

I GOT TICKET #1!!!!!!!!

Feeling a little light-headed...came home to cool off...will be meeting up with Fred and W in about an hour.

Thanks for all your support!!

Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!!

Wow, sounds intense! Good luck - I wish I could go.

Dixie - you and I need to carpool to one of these!

I am listening now and apparently there about 200 citizens there and about 2000 illegals and their supporters... some citizens commented that they are afraid so they turned around (to go support).... apparently the church is bringing a ton of people there... in additon to the illegal supporteres busing people in.. ridiculous..

I know why the citizens aren't heading down because they are afriad of violence AND many of them assume that the politicians will work in their favor...

another guy called and said that the schools there are horrid and overrun..

WHY ARE NOT THE PEOPLE SHOWING UP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Way to go BlessUSA! We expect a full report later tonight or tomorrow!

Originally Posted by BlessUSA

Hi guys!!

I was at the Lake at 11:00 am and was interviewed by NBC, ABC, CBS and WGN and also the local newspaper. I brought my daughter with me to get a ticket, but she won't be going to the meeting. I'll use her ticket to give to William or somebody on 'our' side!

I GOT TICKET #1!!!!!!!!

Feeling a little light-headed...came home to cool off...will be meeting up with Fred and W in about an hour.

Thanks for all your support!!

Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!!

LOL....you went to get a ticket and turned into a media darling!!! You just go with your bad self..........

Make sure you stay cool and hydrated, stay safe and go git 'em!!!

We'll be right here listening

I was able to talk on the local radio station(Thanks for the info on the Station Dixie) I told the people up there I was born and raised in Kenosha ,but now in Texas . I told them they need to go to city hall and fight for their town I told them about why the goverment is not enforcing our laws NAU, I told them about Alipac for info and numbers usa, I'm keeping all of you up there in my prayers.