The Huntington Park City Council in southeast Los Angeles faced a massive public backlash Monday night against the August 3 appointment of two illegal aliens to city commissions. Outraged local residents filled a packed council meeting to overflowing in protest at the council’s move.
As Breitbart News reported earlier this month, Julian Zatarain, 21, was appointed to the Huntington Park parks and recreation commission, while Francisco Medina, 29, received appointment to the health and education commission.
Public comment at the city meeting was opened up on Monday to both those in support of, and opposition to, the controversial appointments.
Speakers approached the podium for three minutes apiece.
Francisco Rivera, who has lived in the Huntington Park area for 35 years, told the council that he opposes the appointments of the illegal aliens.
“How can we be a great nation when we reward people that come to this nation illegally?” Rivera said. “There’s a difference between a legal immigrant and an illegal immigrant.”
He added: “If I’m hungry and if I’m starving and if I break into somebody’s house illegally, I’m going to go to jail. But if I go and knock on somebody’s door and say, ‘Ma’am, I’m really hungry, could you please do me a favor, could you please make me a sandwich?’ That’s the proper way, to ask for something. You shouldn’t get rewarded by breaking a law.”
Rivera, who volunteers in the community cleaning up graffiti, addressed the council while still wearing his reflective vest and carrying his work gloves.
“Not every immigrant that is here, is here illegally and that’s the difference. There’s a right way to do things and a wrong way,” Rivera told the council. “It’s not fair for guys like me.”
Rivera spoke with Breitbart News (below), insisting that “American lives do matter”:
Chanell Temple, from a group called Blacks for Equal Rights, also opposed the appointments and rejected a comparison that had been made between black slaves and illegal aliens.
“Immigrants are people with a choice, they come here by choice. Black slaves didn’t’ have choice. That’s offensive to me because I’m a descendant of a black slave.” She commented that illegal aliens have been treated well in the U.S., and continued, “I don’t know any illegal aliens who have been hung from a tree. I don’t know any of them illegal aliens who have dogs been sicked on.”
Referring to California’s “three strikes” law, Temple said, “My people commit a crime they go to jail. Their people commit a crime, they get amnesty.”
She continued, “We’re not going to have a set of laws for you people and a set of laws for us.”
Several mentions were made of 2016 Presidential candidate Donald Trump during the three-hour meeting. The comments supported the idea that Trump would introduce greater border security and immigration law enforcement.
In the audience, while one speaker was voicing support for the council’s decision to appoint illegal aliens to city commissions, a black member of the audience spoke out, saying, “Illegals should be deported.” Another audience member responded, saying, “Go back to Africa.”
Two speakers described their current status as “undocumented” while taking their turns at the podium, and spoke in favor of the appointments.
In the course of the meeting, one council member, Valentin Amezquita, left his seat at the front of the room to address the rest of the council from the podium. He stated his opposition to the appointments, in contrast to the remaining four members of the council.
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