http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ho ... 731580.php

Local residents protest the group's lawsuit against Lake Forest.

About 50 opponents of illegal immigration gathered outside the ACLU office in Orange to protest the organization's lawsuit against the City of Lake Forest and for the group's stance against issues like religion and abortion.

[b]The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Lake Forest, alleging that the city infringed on day workers' right to free speech by enforcing a law that prohibits people from standing on sidewalks to solicit work.[/]

The city has since repealed the solicitation ordinance that the lawsuit challenged.

Deborah Craig of Mission Viejo with Campo Minutemen helped organize the protest on Friday to speak against the day laborers in the Lake Forest community.

"The mass of day laborers are very close to where we live … it's moving down to Mission Viejo," Craig said. "We have a right to do something about this."

Hector Villagra, director of ACLU in the Orange County office, said ACLU respects the protesters' right to free speech.

"We have no objection to people doing that even if they're exercising that right to criticize what we do," Villagra said. "It's ironic that what we're trying to do in that case is defend the very right that they're exercising."

Villagra said that even though the city repealed the solicitation ordinance, ACLU is continuing with the suit. According to Villagra, the city's police presence has targeted the day workers' ability to stand on the sidewalk and practice their freedom of speech.

Bob Holtzclaw of Lake Forest said the day laborers on Jeronimo and El Toro roads negatively affect the quality of life of their communities and said the city should re-enact the solicitation ordinance.

"It hurts property values … this is not what we want for our city," Holtzclaw said. "The citizens of Lake Forest will bring the message to them that we are not afraid of the ACLU."