Pineda says the move is historic, and would make Huntington Park the first city to have undocumented immigrants on city commissions.
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Metropolis council member Jhonny Pineda named Julian Zatarain, 21, to the Parks and Recreation Fee and Francisco Medina, 29, to the Well being and Schooling Fee. Both of Pineda’s appointees were born in Mexico and do not qualify for temporary legal status under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. “They have been community volunteers for a lot of years”, Pineda said, according to KPCC. “They’ve all the time given to the group…they only occur to be undocumented”. He by no means imagined with the ability to serve the town in an official capability.
The 21-year-old college student found other outlets for service, such as volunteering for the Red Cross and with an organization that helps young people like him get access to educational resources.
“A lot of residents who I spoke to don’t want this to happen”, she said. “I am not doing something mistaken”.
Several years ago, a neighboring city, Maywood, declared itself a “sanctuary city” for immigrants in the country illegally, generating national attention. The decision was announced at Monday night’s city council meeting to mixed reaction. Other commissioners, CBS added, receive a $75 monthly stipend for the months they hold meetings.
People in the country illegally cannot vote or take elected office, but state law does not prevent the men from being appointed as city commissioners. One councilwoman called the arrangement exploitative but other officials said it would make sure everyone in the town was able to participate.
A Huntington Park council member appointed two undocumented immigrants to be community leaders for city commissions Monday. As a result, voter turnout has often been very low. “If we’re going to talk about transparency, being open and having a community that’s involved, then the conversation also has to include undocumented immigrants”.
“Huntington Park is a city of opportunity and a city of hope for all individuals regardless of socioeconomic status, race, creed, or in this case, citizenship”, the councilman said in a statement [to CBS-LA].
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If there’s any local municipality that can be characterized as a community of immigrants, Huntington Park is one: Its population is 50 percent foreign-born, according to census data.
