SANTA ANA : College District Board Urges Prop. 187 Defeat

Saying Proposition 187 would punish innocent children and turn educators into informants, the governing board of the Rancho Santiago College District has approved a resolution urging voters to reject the measure.

Meeting on Monday, the Board of Trustees approved the resolution opposing Proposition 187 in a 5-0 vote, with two abstentions.

Trustees Brian Conley, Charles W. (Pete) Maddox, Enriqueta Ramos, Mike Ortell and Lawrence Labrado voted for the resolution. Trustees Shirley Ralston and Tom Saenz abstained.

“There is a problem of illegal immigration, but this is really a poorly written bill. We’re an educational institution, not a law enforcement institution,” Conley said.

Ramos said enforcement of the proposition would lend itself to racist and unfair enforcement and added, “This is one of the worst pieces of legislation I’ve every seen anywhere.”

However, Saenz said he would not support the resolution because “I don’t feel that this issue is up to the board. It’s up to the public.”

Maddox said the proposition is unconstitutional and would target the children of illegal immigrants.

“We’re going to put them out on the streets uneducated. We’re going to put them out on the streets unvaccinated,” he said.

The resolution states the proposition “will effectively punish children for the illegal actions of their parents.”

Before the vote, several student and staff leaders urged the board to support the resolution.

Paula Garcia, spokeswoman for classified workers, told the board that she would refuse to implement the proposition if it were approved by voters.

“I could not morally report anyone, but the law says that if I have knowledge (that they are here illegally), I must. Being a child of the ‘60s, I would probably be spending some time in jail.”