Legal immigrant speaks against illegal immigrants appointed to council in California
< < Go Back
Illegal immigration is a serious topic in the United States, and one that will only be debated more as presidential campaigns continue to ramp up.
Nowhere is this debate hotter right now than in Huntington Park, California, where officials have appointed two illegal immigrants as city officials.
Francisco Medina and Julian Zatarain, both undocumented immigrants, were appointed to city commissions in early August, Fox 11 reports.
The appointment was made by Councilman Jhonny Pineda, an immigrant himself, whom critics say rewarded the men for working on his campaign. City Mayor Karina Macias has stated that she supports the appointments.
But the community backlash from the decision has been strong, and citizens voiced their opposition during a recent council meeting. One such voice belongs to Francisco Rivera, who immigrated into the U.S. legally, Breitbart News reports.
Rivera stood in front of the council and his community and delivered an impassioned speech:
Excerpts from that speech:
“Doesn’t the City of Huntington Park receive federal money? But yet, you break federal laws! Or, you reward people that break federal laws…
I don’t have anything against immigrants. But there’s a difference between ‘immigrant’ and ‘illegal immigrant.’
If I’m hungry and if I’m starving and if I break into somebody’s house, illegally, I’m gonna go to jail. But if I go and knock on somebody’s door and say, ‘Ma’am, I’m really hungry. Can you do me a favor? Could you please make me a sandwich?’ That’s the proper way to ask for something.
There’s a right way to do things, and a wrong way. People shouldn’t get rewarded by doing the wrong thing. It’s not fair for guys like me. And it’s not fair for other people as well.”
Rivera appeared on “Fox & Friends,” to further explain his viewpoint.
More From IJReview:
Rss Feed