Waukegan mayor focuses on immigration issues
'If you're illegal, you're illegal'
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... 1.article#
August 9, 2007
By DAN MORAN DMORAN@SCN1.COM

WAUKEGAN -- As he presides over a summer of heightened tension between the city and the Mexican-American community, Mayor Richard Hyde said he has an understanding of why immigrants will come to the U.S. without permission.

"I've been to Mexico three times, (and) I have never seen slums like that in my life," he said, speaking about neighborhoods he encountered when venturing away from tourist centers. He added that poor communities that he's visited in China, Japan and Appalachia are worse than what he's seen in Mexico.

» Click to enlarge image Waukegan Mayor Richard Hyde speaks to the editorial board at the News-Sun.
(Thomas Delany Jr./News-Sun)

"If I lived there, I'd swim that river until I made it," he said. "They're not living, they're existing."

But while expressing compassion for those affected by the economic conditions south of the border, Hyde said he still feels it is wrong to come to the U.S. without going through the system.

"If you're illegal, you're illegal. End of argument, right there," said Hyde, adding that "I would not be for amnesty for anybody anytime."

Hyde's comments came during a wide-ranging interview Wednesday with The Lake County News-Sun editorial board, a session that touched on everything from lakefront redevelopment to prospects for a Waukegan casino, but focused heavily on the immigration debates seen in the past two months.

"My job is to make sure everybody obeys the law," said Hyde, reflecting on the city's bid to be granted federal authority to initiate deportation proceedings. He stressed that the special powers would only apply to felons, but he added that Mexican natives have told him that they don't trust authority figures due to corruption in their home country.

"Somewhere along the line, the people are going to have to trust the police ... One of the biggest problems we have is a communication gap," said Hyde, announcing plans to conduct monthly meetings with Latino leaders, including the Rev. Gary Graf of Holy Family Parish.

Among other issues addressed by Hyde during the 90-minute session:


• Events in Springfield this week could dictate whether or not Waukegan waits for a casino or ends up with a license this year. "The last few days, there's been a push for only a Chicago casino," he said. "If the (Illinois) Senate cannot allow a casino in Chicago, then they'll have to go with (Waukegan and other sites), and that'll have to be done by Friday."


• In light of this week's action by the City Council to authorize a Waukegan Harbor dredging deal that could spell the end of industrial uses on the lakefront, Hyde said he thinks it would take about five years to get rid of the silos on Sea Horse Drive.


• While saying he's "very much" satisfied with the progress and management at the Genesee Theatre, the mayor did acknowledge that the theater "hasn't broken even financially yet," and he added that he'd like to see the doors open more.

"Starting in September or October, I'd like to see one performance a week," he said, noting that restaurants are thriving on show nights. "Three years ago, we had three restaurants downtown, and now we have 13, (so) we want as many people coming downtown as we can."

• Hyde, who was 74 when he became acting mayor following the death of Dan Drew in February 2002, confirmed that he plans to run for re-election in 2009. "I'm already running," he said. "One more term, one more term."

Check with the News-Sun online this Saturday, at www.newssunonline.com, to listen to the editorial board's interview with Mayor Hyde.