O.C. Activists to Protest Gingrich’s Visit Today

Anti-immigration activists say they will picket House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s appearance in Orange County today to show their disgust for what they call federal foot dragging on immigration reform.

Barbara A. Coe of Huntington Beach, the founder and chairwoman of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform, said she and her supporters have no serious quarrel with Gingrich, but they want to show him the resolve that exists in Southern California for new immigration laws that will better secure the nation’s borders.

The demonstration will take place this afternoon at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, where Gingrich is scheduled to attend a private birthday reception for Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside) and a GOP fund-raiser.

“We are not really picking on Newt, but we want him to take the message back to Washington, loud and clear, that we want our borders closed and the illegal immigrants out,” said Coe, whose group successfully sponsored Proposition 187 in 1994.

Coe said the demonstration’s real target is House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Tex.), a close Gingrich ally, who “never met an immigrant he didn’t love, I guess. He has been an incredible stumbling block. He has repeatedly said he wants even more immigrants.”

If Armey was appearing in Orange County instead of Gingrich, the demonstration would be much more vociferous than the one planned for today, Coe said.

“I think if it were Armey, it would be fairly hostile,” said Coe, who is also a Republican candidate for Assembly in the 67th District. “We recognize that in many areas where Mr. Gingrich has made a valiant effort to move forward on this subject. But as many times as Mr. Gingrich wants to move forward, Mr. Armey wants to negate that effort.”

Armey’s Washington office could not be reached for comment.

Latino activist Nativo Lopez, the co-director of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, a community-based advocacy group for immigrants, called Coe and her followers representatives of the “extreme, extreme end of the spectrum.”

“They are not only opposed to quote-unquote illegal immigration, they are opposed to immigration, period,” said Lopez, whose group is based in Santa Ana. “She thinks, and the crew that believes as she does, that America should reflect and mirror her racial appearance. It’s too late for that.”

Lopez said Coe and others “don’t like Dick Armey because he doesn’t go as far as these folks want. He still favors the rights of permanent residents and citizens to immigrate their immediate family.”

Coe said she applauds the government’s new border strategy, announced Friday, which calls for assistance from the military and local police in aerial and ground surveillance and transportation of prisoners.

These new efforts are aimed at curtailing the increasing number of people crossing the border because of Mexico’s economic downturn, federal officials said.

“We support whatever it takes,” Coe said. “We want the border slammed shut, period.”

Coe said members of her group and several other organizations, including Citizens for Action Now and United We Stand America, will assemble outside the hotel starting at 4 p.m.