Local News in Brief : Santa Ana: : County Latinos to Picket Bellflower’s Ezell Fete

Leaders of local Latino groups gathered Monday to announce their plans to picket another Latino group’s reception this week for Harold W. Ezell, regional commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Members of the Santa Ana council of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Los Amigos of Orange County, United Latino Democrats, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Hermandad Mexicana Nacional (National Mexican Brotherhood) said they would demonstrate in front of the El Torito restaurant in Costa Mesa on Thursday night to protest the reception.

The reception is being held by a Bellflower LULAC council. Orange County and state LULAC officials have asked the national organization to revoke the Bellflower council’s charter and expel its leaders from the group for honoring Ezell, who has been sharply criticized by LULAC.

“Why would any Latino anywhere want to honor Harold Ezell?” asked Amin David, president of the businessmen’s group Los Amigos of Orange County, at the Monday morning press conference. “Is Ezell being honored for years of constantly describing newly arrived Latino immigrants as ‘invaders’?”

Leaders of the Bellflower LULAC council have refused to cancel or move the reception.

Bellflower council member Ed Morga said Monday that LULAC may have had problems with the INS in the past, but, he said: “We do not believe that the Hispanic community . . . is better served when regrettable past INS actions and resultant controversies are used by critics to besmirch what we believe are sincere efforts by regional INS officials to implement provisions of the amnesty program.”