Maywood: A Haven for Illegals?

The South LA area city of Maywood is an interesting anomaly.  Over 95% Hispanic, the city has openly vowed to make itself a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants.

First, the city eliminated the Police Department's traffic division after complaints that officers unfairly targeted illegal immigrants. Then it made it much more difficult for police to tow cars whose owners didn't have driver's licenses, a practice that affected mostly undocumented people who could not obtain licenses.

In January, the City Council passed a resolution opposing a proposed federal law that would criminalize illegal immigration and make local police departments enforce immigration law. Now, some in the community are pushing to rename one of the city's elementary schools after former Mexican President Benito Juarez and debating measures to improve the lives of illegal immigrants.

Maywood leaders say they hope their actions will serve as a counterpoint to other cities, such as Costa Mesa in Orange County, that have moved forward with crackdowns on illegal immigrants and groups like the Minutemen border patrols.

"You just couldn't keep quiet. I think we needed to amplify the debate by saying that no human being is illegal," said Councilman Felipe Aguirre, 53. "These people are here … making your clothes, shining your shoes and taking care of your kids. And now you want to develop this hypocritical policy?"

Interestingly, this also caused a deep rift in the Hispanic community itself.

The city was developed in the 1920s and '30s as a working-class bedroom community for factory workers of L.A.'s industrial belt. But like the neighboring cities of Bell Gardens and Huntington Park, Maywood saw an influx of immigration as the area's factories began to close in the 1970s.

The campaign for immigrant rights has its roots in a long-brewing political divide between newer immigrants and older immigrants, who consider themselves more "Americanized," said Ceballos, who came to the United States as an illegal immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico, 37 years ago and is a longtime Maywood political observer.

"Many people who came here a long time ago feel that they had to sacrifice a lot more and do with a lot less than people who come to the country now," Ceballos said.

This discord was evident at a recent City Council meeting. On one side sat a group of newer immigrants who addressed the council in Spanish. On the other side sat a few of the city's longtime Anglo residents and Latinos who spoke in English.

At one point, when Anglo resident Kathleen Larsen spoke out angrily against naming an elementary school after Juarez, the audience members sitting behind her applauded. Most of them were Latino, and many were immigrants.

Interesting how Us vs Them has a different meaning in different communities.

All that aside, Maywood authorities are being short-sighted. Cutting their traffic division and refusing to impound cars of unlicensed drivers are dangerous to all citizens, not just a help to illegals and their families. Furthermore, supporting illegal immigrants is a drain on all the surrounding communities. I wouldn't be surprised if they find themselves an a heap of trouble if this becomes their official policy....