Thread: Thousands of immigrants express fears in Waukegan

http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=326951

Waukegan mayor tells 6,500 city will pursue illegal immigrants only for serious crimes

Fear was the dominant emotion in a mostly Hispanic crowd of about 1,500 at a meeting in a Waukegan church Wednesday night on the city's plan to certify police officers in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Waukegan police said another 5,000 or so people were outside Holy Family Catholic Church during the town hall session, unable to get inside because of fire code regulations. Some in the crowd periodically banged on church doors.

Mayor Richard Hyde tried to assure the crowd inside Holy Family that the police, if given permission by the Department of Homeland Security, would use the power to enforce federal immigration laws only to seek serious criminals.

"We are not going into your homes to look for anybody undocumented or anything else," Hyde told the crowd after he was questioned by Holy Family's pastor, the Rev. Gary Graf.

Holy Family has been active in immigration issues. The parish reports that illegal immigrants make up about 70 percent of the 4,000 families in the parish.

Last week, the Waukegan city council approved an informal resolution allowing the police department to apply to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the special power.

Waukegan's possible participation in a special federal program would allow city police to identify, process and detain immigration offenders they encounter on the job. Before an application is made, Hyde said, the city council would have to take a formal vote on the issue after gathering more information.

Carmen Patlan, human concerns director for three Waukegan parishes, said the city should back off.

"The community is afraid of losing our homes, our jobs, our daily meal, our roots, our dignity," Patlan said.

Cardinal Francis George expressed his objection to the Waukegan proposal in a letter read to the crowd. Oracio Lopez Jr., vice chairman of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, said he's concerned Waukegan might be headed toward race riots similar to the 1960s.

Officials said Waukegan already receives ICE assistance when it starts deportation proceedings when a documented or illegal immigrant is arrested on a felony charge.

In the Holy Family parking lot, a man held a sign that read "No Polimigra," or no immigration police.

The community is afraid of losing our homes, our jobs, our daily meal, our roots, our dignity," Patlan said.

Yeah, I know how they feel. That's EXACTLY how we Americans feel with regard to illegal immigration.

are they illegals...that should be the only folks concerned... not the legal immigrants

[quote]Yeah, I know how they feel. That's EXACTLY how we Americans feel with regard to illegal immigration.[/quote

Amen to that...I have wondered about this daily...

Send Em Packing!! They shouldn't have been there in the first place. I'll volunteer to put on my boots and help "kick" them out personally!

That's right! Not scared enought to start leaving!!!!

Dixie

Mayor Richard Hyde tried to assure the crowd inside Holy Family that the police, if given permission by the Department of Homeland Security, would use the power to enforce federal immigration laws only to seek serious criminals.

Los Angeles took this route some years ago and it gradually changed from a beautiful city to a stinking toilet and all the decent AMERICAN CITIZENS moved out.

You know, I'm not the kind of person who's comfortable with hacking on religion, but it seems to me the Catholic church is concerned about saving money put in their collection plates. Maybe I'm wrong. Seventy percent of this church's parishoners are ILLEGAL!

They'll probably all move to Cook County.

See here for further info on the Crook County Sanctuary:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1845542/posts

Originally Posted by NeedBee

They'll probably all move to Cook County.

See here for further info on the Crook County Sanctuary:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1845542/posts

I recently left Cook County which for all intents and purposes is broke as hell. The taxes (being used to subsidize this invasion) continue to skyrocket. Hospitals are overwhelmed and on the verge of collapse along with public transportation whose costs are under consideration for yet another increase. Yet they are relying heavily on the federal government and American taxpayers to pull their asses out of the fire. Boosh has visited Chicago often and he and Mayor Daley are very good friends. Since both come from a long line of crooks I'm sure the back door sanctuary deal was made years ago.