COSTA MESA : HUD Delays Meeting on Services to Aliens

A Friday meeting between Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp and Costa Mesa officials to discuss a proposed city policy of denying services to illegal aliens has been postponed, HUD officials said Wednesday.

The meeting on the controversial funding policy has been tentatively rescheduled for next week, HUD spokesman Jack Flynn said.

HUD lawyers had told the officials that the city could legally withhold federal grant money from nonprofit organizations that knowingly provide services to illegal aliens. The city had adopted the unprecedented policy last August but rescinded it while awaiting HUD’s ruling on whether it violated anti-discrimination guidelines.

On Monday, Kemp suspended the ruling, as well as HUD regulations that limit services to undocumented residents and amnesty applicants, and called for a meeting to discuss the national ramifications if the Costa Mesa policy were implemented.

Besides city officials, representatives from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Hermandad Mexicana Nacional are also scheduled to attend.

Meanwhile, Costa Mesa Councilman Orville Amburgey, who originally proposed the policy, voiced concern Wednesday that he has not been invited to attend the meeting.

Amburgey said that Mayor Peter F. Buffa had chosen himself and City Manager Allan L. Roeder to go to Washington.

“My concern is if this is a meeting intended to solicit different viewpoints about the policy, as author it would be important that my thoughts be received on why it is needed,” Amburgey said. “I don’t know if the mayor can adequately convey that and unfortunately, this has become a nationally important issue.”

Amburgey said he plans to meet with the mayor and suggest that he be included in the city’s delegation.