Thread: Waukegan braces for immigrant rally

Waukegan braces for immigrant rally

The Associated Press
Published July 16, 2007, 4:49 AM CDT

Authorities in Waukegan are preparing today for thousands of people expected to descend on the downtown area to protest the city's proposed extension of immigration enforcement.

Waukegan Police Chief William Biang said his department is working with other local agencies to beef up enforcement for an announced rally that will coincide with a City Council meeting this evening.


The City Council will be voting to reconsider application for 287-g authorization, which would eventually give Waukegan police the authority to begin deportation proceedings for illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes.

Though thousands of people are expected at the rally, only about 175 will fit in council chambers. Admission will be granted only to those who have tickets, which will be distributed at Waukegan's south beach, beginning at 4 p.m.

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New
Immigration law vote in Waukegan tonight
By Bob Susnjara
bsusnjara@dailyherald.com
Posted Monday, July 16, 2007

Waukegan officials are gearing up for tonight’s city council meeting, where aldermen are expected to take a formal vote on whether to let police submit an application for the special power to enforce federal immigration laws.

The issue took center stage this weekend, as Hispanic activists called for illegal immigrants to boycott businesses without signs opposing the plan, and Americans for Legal Immigration countered with a "shop in Waukegan" effort Sunday.

If Waukegan gains approval from the Department of Homeland Security, the special federal program would allow police to identify, process and detain immigration offenders they encounter on the job. Mayor Richard Hyde said it might take up to a year for the city to receive federal permission, with rejection a possibility.

Waukegan’s proposal was the subject of a town-hall meeting last month that drew about 1,500 mostly Hispanic spectators to Holy Family Catholic Church. Another 5,000 people stood outside because of fire code regulations. Hyde attended the meeting an in effort to ease tensions in the Hispanic community.

He told the crowd Waukegan won’t participate in or condone raids on employers or community institutions. He said police would use the special deportation authority only in the effort to prosecute suspects in felonies, such as homicide, rape and child abuse.




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