Some residents push for resolution to make Oak Park a 'Sanctuary City'
OAK PARK, Ill. (FOX 32 News) - White House officials said late Saturday they would seek an immediate stay of a federal judge's ruling that puts President Trump's travel ban on hold, as some suburban residents pushed to make their city more welcoming to immigrants.
This weekend, the State Department reversed cancelations of visas for foreigners while the Department of Homeland Security said it's no longer directing airlines to prevent visa-holders from boarding planes bound for the U.S.
President Trump’s Executive Order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries appears to be stalled, but there continues to be fallout in Chicago's suburbs from the immigration order.
Hundreds of people filled a west suburban park on Saturday and rallied in support of a village ordinance that would make Oak Park a sanctuary city. The village board is expected to vote on the proposal Monday, both Chicago and Evanston are already sanctuary cities.
“President Trump has threatened to take away federal funding from sanctuary city and even targeted Chicago, but if the president is putting in so much effort to fight sanctuary cities we are clearly doing something worth fighting for,” said Nashiha Alam with the Asian American Advancing Justice organization.
On Saturday President Trump to the immigration battle several times via Twitter, "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!"
Several hours later he tweeted again, “Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision.”
In Naperville residents worried about the immigration order met with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and 11th district Congressman Bill Foster.
“We had a lot of genuine concerns related to security, immigration, travel ban Islamophobia, and safety of our own kids,” said Shoaib Khadri, the president of the Islamic Center of Naperville.
“We've gone through this with immigrant communities in this country and in this state all throughout our history it was Irish-American and the Polish and the Chinese,” said Senator Duckworth. “We will survive this our democracy is greater than the fear that is being sewn right now.”
Meanwhile in the northwest suburbs concerned residents tried to speak to their Congressman U.S. Representative Peter Roskam, but cell phone video posted on Twitter showed him leaving through a back door and hopping into a car after meeting with Republican supporters. Roskam's staff said he would have preferred to leave through the front door, but the police asked him to use the back door. One protester was arrested.
North suburban Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky issued a statement calling the Muslim ban immoral, unconstitutional and dangerous to our national security.
“I am very pleased that this hold has been ordered, and hope that it will allow the many men, women, and children previously affected by this order to reach our nation of immigrants,” said Schakowsky in a statement.