Political Leaders, Activists to Hold Discussion on Illegal Immigration

A host of regional political leaders and activists will hold a public forum Thursday at Orange Coast College to discuss illegal immigration.

Arturo Montez of the League of United Latin American Citizens, and representatives from Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) and Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) will be among 10 speakers participating in the program.

“We want to encourage a more responsible discussion of (illegal) immigration rather than promoting the polemics that seem to surround the issue now,” said Daniel Torres of the 67th Assembly District committee of the state Democratic Party, one of the co-sponsors of the event. The other sponsors are the minority issues committee of the Orange County Bar Assn. and the Associated Students of Orange Coast College.

A recent Los Angeles Times Poll indicated that 86% of Californians view illegal immigration as a major or moderate problem, while three-quarters of the respondents in the statewide poll said they approved of using National Guard troops to protect border integrity. In the Times poll conducted between Sept. 10-13, only the economy and crime ranked above illegal immigration as the state’s most serious problem.

The event, which begins at 7 p.m., will be at the college’s Forum, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. The program is free. For details, call (714) 432-5507.