Many Waukegan businesses hijacked over immigration politics

by James Foley
Aug 09, 2007
Small businesses in the north suburb of Waukegan are suffering this summer after officials asked that police be allowed to enforce a federal provision to deport illegal immigrants arrested for felonies.

Many Latinos in the Waukegan area believe the new provision would be used as an excuse for police profiling.

Pro-immigrant activists flooded the city of 92,000 on July 16 when the city council voted not to reconsider its application to the Department of Homeland Security.

Waukegan businesses are now being pressed to put an orange flier that denounces the federal provision -- known as 287(g) -- in their windows.

Now some business owners say their sales are down 30 percent because their customers are afraid of driving to Waukegan, and consumer boycotts, both for and against the controversial program, have probably made business even worse.

The boycott is part of a “Waukegan Para Todosâ€