Illegals in Charge

Some illegal immigrants aren’t waiting for amnesty, it seems. Some are coming out of the shadows — and into City Hall, where they are ready to start helping run the place.

A small city outside Los Angeles has become the first in the U.S. to appoint illegal immigrants to government positions. And they’ll be paid with taxpayer money.

Huntington Park Councilman Jhonny Pineda announced Monday night he was appointing Julian Zatarain, 21, to the Parks and Recreation Commission, and Francisco Medina, 29, to the Health and Education Commission. Both are in the country illegally.

The move, which came at the City Council meeting, was met with anger.

“You are out of order!” one woman in the crowd yelled at the council members, according the local CBS affiliate.

While Pineda, 32, said the two will not be paid, they can each receive a stipend of up to $75 per month. It was unclear if they would also be eligible for any other government benefits.

The two illegal immigrants can each receive a stipend of up to $75 per month. It was unclear if they would also be eligible for any other government benefits.

“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,” Pineda said. “We need to make sure we bring everyone together to the table here in Huntington Park so that we can make sure we’re sharing the same vision.”

The two city residents did not meet the guidelines in President Obama’s executive order that allowed children of illegal immigrants to remain in the country, Pineda said. But a city ordinance allows illegals to hold government posts if they work on a volunteer basis.

“I’m speaking out for people like me,” Zatarain told the Los Angeles Times. “I’m not doing anything wrong.”

Zatarian said he was appointed not because he is an illegal, but because his “background was really good for the position.”

A Mexican, Zatarian arrived in the U.S. in 2007 at age 13 and graduated from Huntington Park High School. He now attends Santa Monica College and hopes to go to law school.

Medina graduated from California State University and has organized free immigration forums.

“Of course, we all pay taxes,” Medina told KTLA after the Monday meeting. “In Huntington Park, there’s a big community of poor undocumented, and the fact that I’m going to be part of it, I think they’re going to be so proud of it as well.”

Zatarian said he was appointed not because he is an illegal, but because his “background was really good for the position.”

But not everyone was delighted by the appointment of two illegal immigrants to city commissions.

“I don’t think they should be allowed in the country if they’re … if they haven’t been granted asylum by the United States government. Then they’re considered criminals, I would say. Everybody that’s here illegally, right, would be considered a criminal,” Louis Knickerbocker told KTLA.

Meanwhile, Robin Hvidston, executive director of We The People Rising, told the Times, “To appoint commission seats to individuals who are breaking federal laws demonstrates that lack of respect for U.S. law.”

Huntington Park is 97 percent Hispanic or Latino and has incredibly low turnout for elections, often less than 10 percent. The median income is just $28,000 a year and more than a quarter of the city’s 59,000 residents live below the poverty line.

Huntington Park Mayor Karina Macias said she supports the appointments.

“Our population includes documented and undocumented immigrants, and I wanted to make sure everyone could participate,” Macias told the Times. “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. I’m hoping other cities are looking at what we’re doing here.”

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