Mixed reaction to Huntington Park City Council appointments.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: The appointment of two undocumented immigrants to commissioner positions in Huntington Park, Calif. was met with mixed reaction when it was announced Monday evening by the locale’s City Council.
Julian Zatarain, 21, won an appointment to the parks and recreation commission, while Francisco Medina, 29, was appointed to the health and education commission by Huntington Park Councilman Jhonny Pineda, according to local news station KTLA.
However, some believe Councilman Jhonny Pineda who joined the council in March, specifically picked Medina and Zatarain because they worked on his campaign. Others believe they don’t believe undocumented immigrants should serve the government this way, reported CBS Los Angeles.
Pineda stressed that the two appointees would not be paid – federal law prohibits that – and that they will have no power to determine city policy, but that seemed to offer little in the way of alleviating the qualms of some Huntington Park residents.
“We’re sending the wrong message: you can be illegal and you can come and work for the city,†an unnamed woman vented to CBS.
The 32-year-old councilman announced that he picked these two men based on their accomplishments and because he promised voters on the campaign trail he’d create opportunities for the city’s sizable undocumented immigrant demographic.
“We need to make sure that we bring everyone together to the table here in Huntington Park so that we can make sure we’re sharing the same vision,†he said.
Meanwhile, the city’s mayor, Karina Macias, aligned her support with Pineda and his new appointments.
Pineda claims the move to appoint undocumented immigrants to city positions is unprecedented, and would make Huntington Park the first city to have undocumented immigrants on city commissions.
1 Comment
I am not from California but this still bothers me. This has to be illegal, and I am certainly “smelling a mean SNAKE in the grass”. Someone on that City Council, the City of Huntington Park, or the Governor is getting PAID Very Big Dollars to allow this FELONY CRIME to take place. Californians need to EXPOSE this entire setup and IMPEACE their Governor and get rid of him and all parties associated with this boondoggle.