Thread: Outrageous demands from 6,500 re: 287g/pictures Waukegan

I am going to make a plea for help once the dust settles. I am going to ask for help in Waukegan, IL. We are one of the first IL cities to talk about applying for this. A dozen citizens showed up to support this vote in the council last week. However, an estimated 6,500 people showed up last night to protest 287g. So far the mayor is firm but who knows...He signed an agreement which already waters down the effects.

Emma Lozano was there last night. Isn't she the one protecting Elvira in the church in Chicago. We need help so this doesn't go sour. I will confer with William, Dixie, et al to see if there is something we can come up with.

'We are not going into your homes'

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

June 28, 2007

By RYAN PAGELOW rpagelow@scn1.com

Waukegan Mayor Richard Hyde is not backing down on the city's desire to seek certification to perform some immigration functions in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"I, at this time, am not going to ask the City Council to drop the resolution," Hyde told a crowd of more than 1,000 gathered Wednesday at Holy Family Parish.

However, he did sign an agreement with the Rev. Gary Graf, pastor of Holy Family, promising that if city police are granted deportation powers they would only use them to prosecute major felonies and would not be used to deport those guilty of minor traffic violations such as driving without a license. I will post this agreement as well.

Graf invited the mayor to speak at the church. The agreement was meant to clarify how the city would use authorization from ICE and to calm fears among many in the immigrant community.

"We are not going into your homes to look for anybody undocumented or anything else," Hyde said. "We are not going to set up roadblocks to find out if the person in the car is legal or undocumented. That is not the purpose."

The city has not made the application yet, Hyde said. Once sent, the city would wait for ICE approval and then negotiate an agreement with ICE before officers could begin training.

"It may take one month, six months, a year, or it may never happen," Hyde said.

Regarding how many officers would be trained, he said "maybe two."

The mayor also agreed to meet quarterly with a newly formed group of parishioners at the church about how ICE powers are used, if granted.

"From this date on, we'll meet to see what the next steps are," Graf said. "We have to pray and organize and decide what the next step is."

The church was filled to capacity. Doors were closed shortly after 7 p.m. and hundreds of people stood outside the church.

The first half of the meeting was a series of testimonials from immigrants, students and clergy. They argued that community relations with police would erode in the Latino community.

Horacio Lopez, vice president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Lake County, said, "I feel strongly that the actions of the City Council do nothing more than polarize the community."

Waukegan Chief of Police Bill Biang said the thrust of the initiative is to to target violent criminals, gang related activity, sexual assault, narcotics smuggling and other serious crimes.

"We are already involved in working with immigration to deport these individuals," he said. "No one will be authorized to ask their legal status unless arrested for these crimes."

People will not notice a change in the police department, he said.

A few organizations broke from the organizers of Wednesday's town hall meeting, and refused to accept anything except full withdrawal of the city's resolution to seek ICE certification.

Emma Lozano, director of Centro Sin Fronteras in Chicago, and a few others chanted "No to 287" in Spanish during the meeting before being quieted down by Graf.

Jose Guzman, a leader of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement in Waukegan, said, "The immigration issue is a federal issue and it has nothing to do with the city or the state."

See video coverage at newssunonline.com

Waukegan police said another 5,000 or so people were outside Holy Family Catholic Church while a meeting was going on inside in which Waukegan Mayor Richard Hyde addressed questions on how the city will handle illegal immigrants. (Photos by Vincent Pierri/Daily Herald)



Not everyone could fit inside the church because of fire codes.



Mayor Richard Hyde told the crowd police would enforce federal immigration laws only to seek serious criminals.



Holy Family's pastor, the Rev. Gary Graf, questioned the mayor.

Here is what the mayor signed....

As Mayor of the City of Waukegan, I agree to the following:

That if granted Section 287g powers by the ICE, the city of Waukegan WILL ONLY USE this authority to prosecute major felonies, such as murder, child abuse, and rape.

That the City WILL NOT USE it's section 287g authority to deport unlicensed drivers, immigrants without legal identification. or those guilty of minor traffic violations or other minor offenses.

That in no instance will the city participate in or condone ICE raids on employers or other community institutions.

That the City will not tolerate any police and other public servants using the ICE authority to threaten immigrants with deportation or to engage in racial profiling.

That because the City recognizes and values the contributions immigrants make to the local economy and community we will work for reforms (such as drivers certificates) that can enable immigrants to participate more fully and confidently in public life.

That the City will report to Holy Family Human Concerns United Front and the wider community on a quarterly basis how these ICE powers have been used.

As members of Holy Family, we agree to:

Share the above commitments widely within our parish community,

Encourage our fellow parishioners and neighbors, immigrant and native born, to observe the laws of Waukegan and the state of Illinois

Work to improve relations among all residents of Waukegan.

Encourage legal residents to become U.S. Citizens and fully participate in public life.

Here is a letter from the priest;

Holy Family~Queen of Peace~Immaculate Conception

Dear Mayor Hyde:

We, the people of Holy Family, Immaculate Conception and Queen of Peace wish to go on record as being vehemently opposed to the recent resolution of the Waukegan City Council in which they authorized Waukegan Police Department to seek authorities as specified in 287g.

We represent over 5000 families in the Waukegan area. You, as a family man and a teacher have the very same values that so many of us have and we request that you reconsider the position that the city has taken.

There are over Twelve Million undocumented immigrants in our great country. Deportation and separating families are surely not the answer. Our federal congress is currently considering the immigration matter and we question the need for our local government to take such dramatic and drastic steps at this time.

We, the people whom you and the city council represent, both citizens of the United States and our brothers and sisters who have come to the U.S. as our fathers and mothers did, seeking opportunity and a better way of life share your concerns for the removal of dangerous felons from our streets and neighborhoods. We feel that the city officials and it's Police Department have the necessary authority to accomplish this task without the added unnecessary powers of 287g.

Respectfully, we ask that you rescind this resolution and take the initiative to bring our community together through dialogue an cooperation. The streets of Baghdad are in shambles because people of that city are not able to communicate with each other.

Peace,
Fr. Gary Graf
The people of Holy
Family, Immaculate
Conception and Queen
of Peace.

Yea, looks like you have an illegal alien problem.

YOu are way to far north for those to be just people here on a day pass.

Dixie

Good news spread fast !!

I can't believe your mayor is allowing terms to be dictated to him by the church!

Looks like some of these protesters came up from Chicago!
Get your all your neighbors and the citizens of Waukegan to
band together to fight for your town. Don't let the illegal aliens
take over, because that is what they are really doing!