Thread: Two area cities worlds apart on immigration

Two area cities worlds apart on immigration

While Costa Mesa voted to have its police enforce immigration laws, Maywood leaders vow to defy a proposal making illegal presence a felony.

By KIMBERLY EDDS
The Orange County Register

COSTA MESA and MAYWOOD

Rows of auto body shops, panaderías and tortilla sellers line streets in Maywood's 1.1 square miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Costa Mesa, 35 miles to the south, is 16 square miles crisscrossed by light industrial factories, South Coast Plaza and a mishmash of a bit of everything in between.

As different as the two California cities appear on the surface, their politics are even more divergent when it comes to immigration. And their stances are shoving both little-known cities under the glare of public scrutiny.

In December, a divided Costa Mesa City Council voted to train its police to screen violent felons to see if they are in the country illegally.

In January, Maywood officials declared their city a "sanctuary" for illegal immigrants, adopting a resolution opposing a proposed federal law that would make illegal immigrants felons.

If the federal legislation is enacted, members of a newly elected City Council majority said, they would defy it.

"Half of Maywood's population would have been made felons," said the city's deputy mayor, Felipe Aguirre. "It would have created chaos. We're just trying to represent the interests of our residents."

Like Costa Mesa, the council is split, 3-2.

"I didn't vote to break the law," Maywood Councilman Sam Pena said. "If we are going to pass laws and expect people to follow and obey them, then we need to set an example. We as elected officials can't just pick and choose which laws we want to follow."

Officially, Maywood's population numbers about 30,000 and is 96 percent Hispanic. But local politicians estimate that in addition, 10,000 illegal immigrants live there. Almost one-third of Costa Mesa's 113,000 residents are Hispanic.

Costa Mesa has never elected a Hispanic council member. Maywood politics took a dramatic turn in November when the city elected the first Hispanic-majority council in its 83-year history. Complaints of racial profiling and harassment of people city police suspected of being illegal immigrants prompted a record 65 percent of registered voters to show up to the polls. Things began to change.

"Everyone depends on illegal immigrants," Aguirre said. "They are all part of our society. We don't believe in demonizing them."

Residents, including the priest of St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church, had complained that police were intentionally pulling cars over that displayed the rosary on the rearview mirrors – a common practice of Hispanic drivers. Many of those detained were driving without a license, and Maywood's 30-day car impound rule was racking up thousands of dollars in fines from the unlicensed drivers.

Pena said the traffic stops had nothing to do with race. How could there be racial profiling in a city 98 percent Hispanic? he asked.

The traffic division, under pressure from the newly elected council majority, was disbanded last winter. Impounds have dropped from 240 a month to 40 in February.

COSTA MESA

The first Orange County city to open up a day-labor center in 1989, Costa Mesa shut it down in December. Some residents accused city lawmakers of trying to force Hispanic workers out of the city. But city leaders said the center was becoming obsolete and was occupying prime real estate targeted for redevelopment.

Then the City Council, spurred by Mayor Allan Mansoor, voted to ask federal officials to deputize its officers to enforce immigration laws.

"I simply want to uphold the law and the oath of office we took when we were elected," he said.

People from as far as Victorville and Hemet have trekked to Costa Mesa City Council meetings to voice their support for the immigration proposal.

A contingent of Minuteman Project members, illegal-immigration opponents, ended the Pledge of Allegiance at a recent council meeting with a resounding "and justice for all citizens."

"I firmly believe that rapists, pedophiles and murderers - if they are in this country illegally - they should be deported," Costa Mesa resident Janice Gamill said during a recent council meeting. "I want my grandchildren to be raised in a city as safe as I was."

On April 1, 1,200 immigration supporters rallied in front of City Hall. For months, protesters have stood vigil outside a steakhouse owned by Councilman Gary Monahan, who voted for the policy.

Under pressure from supporters of the immigration policy, bilingual city staff members have been pulled from other duties to translate Spanish comments into English.

Lawmakers from both cities have been making the rounds of cable news and radio shows, defending their respective positions.

"Americans just want their laws upheld, and they want them applied equally to everyone," Mansoor said. "(Maywood) is going to regret it. It's certainly not going to help their city."

"In this community, I see a lot of hardworking people contributing, paying their taxes so I don't think because somebody is illegal, they are a criminal," Maywood Mayor Thomas Martin said on "Fox Special Report" with Brit Hume last month.

BIG ISSUE, SMALL SCALE

Pressure from citizens is prompting smaller cities and counties increasingly to take a stand on hot-button issues like immigration, said Subramanian Ramakrishnan, a political-science professor at UC Riverside.

"Local government has the responsibility for responding to the concerns of residents as well as maintaining law and order and economic development," Ramakrishnan said. "Cities are going to want some time to work on creating a good policy instead of being pushed into doing something that is reactionary."

Wiping her hands on her apron, Adriana Guardao said she's seen the number of customers to the Espigna de Oro bakery on Costa Mesa's W. 19th Street disappear as quickly as her popular bright, sugary Mexican pastries usually do. Other businesses that cater to Hispanic clientele have reported much as 40 percent drops in revenue.

"They're not going to focus on just criminals. They're going to focus on immigrants," Guardao said. "They are going to see what they look like. That's why people are leaving here. They're afraid."

But Costa Mesa police officers say without a policy in hand the way they police the city hasn't changed.

"We have made a concerted effort to reach out to the public to inform them of what the policy intends to do," Lt. Allen Huggins said.

A policy has yet to be crafted, but the city is targeting only violent felons who have been previously deported.

Standing in front of a Maywood convenience store scratching a lottery ticket, Norma Perez, 36, said her car has been impounded twice. She has no license, no papers and no intention of leaving.

"People used to be afraid of the police, but now I like it here," Perez said, watching as a white police sport utility vehicle passed by.

"The biggest concern is that we're getting attention like we've never before had," Maywood's Pena said. "I don't think anyone really knew where Maywood was. I was OK with that."






By the numbers

Maywood snapshot
Population (2005 estimate): 29,596
Hispanic: 27,051 (96.3 percent)
Year of incorporation: 1924
Registered voters(2004): 5,990
Median income: $33,941
Area: 1.14 square miles

Costa Mesa snapshot
Population(2005 estimate): 113,440
Hispanic: 34,523 (31.8%)
Year of incorporation: 1953
Registered voters(2004): 55,570
Median income: $57,402
Area: 16 square miles

Sources: U.S. Census, Orange County Registrar of Voters, Los Angeles Registrar of Voters, Claritas, U.S. Department of Finance

- Compiled by Register News Researcher Michael Doss

Costa Mesa is a nice town, My city borders it to the north (Huntington Beach). The entire west side of Costa Mesa looks like a rubish yard. This is were the hispanic's live.The rest of Costa mesa is very nice,clean and modern looking. Maywood is a little crap hole in Los Angeles county surrounded by other crap hole cities.Maywood could be wiped off the map and know one would notice.

You are right about that skipp, isn't that the town that the mayor has declared a santuary for illegals and require that the police not check status on any illegals they pull over driving without a license?

Originally Posted by lsmith1338

You are right about that skipp, isn't that the town that the mayor has declared a santuary for illegals and require that the police not check status on any illegals they pull over driving without a license?

Correct, Maywood is a santuary for illegals. The city looks like the city dump no industry, no parks, asphalt streets are hammered with pot holes,buildings are probally 100 years and not maintained.