Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa did not pick immigration to top his public agenda. He rarely discussed the issue during last year's mayoral campaign and had hoped to spend the spring talking about his first budget -- a controversial package that includes a significant fee hike to pay for more police.
But on March 25, a crowd estimated by police at half a million people massed outside Villaraigosa's office at City Hall to register their opposition to a bill in Congress that would have imposed new criminal penalties on immigrants who entered the country illegally. Since then, smaller protests and a series of student walkouts have kept the issue near the top of Los Angeles' agenda and have spread across the nation as well.
As one of the country's most recognizable Latino politicians, Villaraigosa has naturally been drawn to the emotional debate. He addressed the marchers to express his support for their cause, called on students to return to school and discussed immigration in general terms. Still, Villaraigosa has not weighed in on many of the issue's specific implications for city services or commented on some of the bills before Congress. On Thursday, he agreed to discuss those details with The Times:
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Question: Overall, is immigration a positive or negative issue for you?
Answer: Over the years, as both a legislator and now as mayor, I've focused on education, healthcare, jobs, because those are the issues that touch the lives of most of my constituents.
But when 500,000 people march in peace on an issue that's so important to their lives, their livelihood and their families, I feel compelled to get involved, regardless of whether it's a good issue or a bad issue for me.
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Q: Since you got involved in a very visible and active way a few weeks ago, what has the reaction been?
A: The letters and e-mails have been overwhelmingly negative, maybe 500 to 1, maybe a little more.... But I think we're elected to do what's right, not necessarily what's popular.
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Q: Illegal immigrants place some burden on city services, whether it's fire or police or sewer or whatever. Is there any way to measure the cost that the city of Los Angeles pays to care for people who are here illegally, and is that a cost worth paying?
