THE CITY CLERK, WHITE.
>> FIRST OFF TONIGHT,  RESIDENTS IN BRIGHTON PARK ARE  SOUNDING OFF ON A CITY PLAN TO  HOUSE MIGRANTS IN THE AREA.
THE PROPOSAL WOULD TRANSFORM A  VACANT LOT AT 38TH STREET IN  CALIFORNIA INTO A WINTERIZED  BASE CAMP.
THE LOCAL ALDERMAN  IS HOLDING A COMMUNITY MEETING  TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THE PLAN,  BUT WARNS IT MAY ALREADY BE A  DONE DEAL WHETHER SHE OBJECTS  OR NOT.
WTW NEWS REPORTER  HEATHER SHARON JOINS US NOW  LIVE FROM BRIGHTON PARK AHEAD  OF TONIGHT'S MEETING.
HEATHER?
>> THANKS, BRAND AS I'M COMING  TO YOU LIVE FROM THE CLASSROOM  AT KELLY HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE  AUDITORIUM IS FILLING UP WITH  PEOPLE WHO HAVE QUESTIONS  ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD MEAN FOR  THEIR COMMUNITY FOR A  WINTERIZED BASE CAMP TO BE  BUILT AT 38TH AND CALIFORNIA.
JOINING ME NOW IS ALDERMAN  JULIO RAMIREZ WHO FOUND  HERSELF AT THE CENTER OF THIS  CONTROVERSY ALDERWOMAN 5 DAYS  AGO.
YOU WENT TO A PROTEST OF  THIS INCIDENT AND FOUND  YOURSELF ATTACKED AND YOUR  AIDE HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED.
ARE YOU DOING AND HOW IS  DOING?
YES, I WANT EVERYBODY  TO KNOW THAT WE'RE BOTH DOING  REALLY WELL.
AND I WANT TO  UPLIFT, YOU KNOW, MY STAFF OR  HE'S A YOUNG PERSON.
HE'S IN  COLLEGE NOW.
>> AND HE LOVES DOING THIS  WORK.
SO I'M THANKFUL FOR  GREAT.
WE'RE GLAD TO HEAR THAT  YOU EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION THAT  MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON DIDN'T  CONSULT YOU BEFORE EVALUATING  THIS SITE FOR A WINTER ICE  BASE CAMP, WHICH THE MAYOR'S  OFFICE SAYS APPEARS VIABLE.
BUT NO FINAL DECISION HAS BEEN  MADE.
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TOLD  HIM BEFORE BEGINNING THAT  PROCESS?
IF YOU HAD BEEN  ASKED, I THINK WHAT YOU KNOW,  I CAMPAIGNED ON AND WHAT I  WANTED TO BE REALLY DIFFERENT  THAN THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION  THAT WOULD SIGN CONTRACTS THAT  WOULD, YOU KNOW, REZONED  LOCATIONS FOR BAD ACTORS.
AND  SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A POINT  OF MINE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE,  YOU KNOW, DEVELOP CONVERSATION  THAT WE LET RESIDENTS KNOW,  YOU KNOW, AT LEAST AT THE VERY  LEAST AND THE RADIUS OF THE  LOT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE TO  UPHOLD ANYTHING ELSE.
SO WHAT  ARE YOU HOPING TO LEARN  TONIGHT?
WHAT ARE YOU HOPING  TO HEAR FROM YOUR COMMUNITY  ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL?
YEAH,  WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF  MISINFORMATION.
THIS IS  ACTUALLY THE FIRST TIME FOLKS  ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE  CITY.
IT'S BEEN ABOUT A WEEK  AND A HALF.
FOLKS ARE VERY  CURIOUS AS TO WHY THERE'S, YOU  KNOW, TRUCKS ON THE LOT WHY  THERE'S BEING WORKED DURING AN  ASSESSMENT.
AND SO I REALLY  WANT TO SET THE RECORD  STRAIGHT.
HAVE HAVE THE CITY  PROVIDE FACTS?
AND THEN WHAT I  WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE  COMMUNITY IS THAT HOW DOES  THIS WORK FOR EVERYONE?
YOU  KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL  LIKE WE'RE ONLY THINKING ABOUT  ASYLUM SEEKERS AND I'M HERE TO  REPRESENT MY WARD AND ASKED  THE ADMINISTRATION.
HOW ARE WE  THINKING ABOUT BRIGHTON PARK?
BEFORE THE PROTEST SORT  ERUPTED?
YOU WOULD ASKED YOUR  COMMUNITIES TO SORT OF FOCUS  ON HELPING THESE PEOPLE, MANY  OF WHOM HAVE COME HERE WITH  NOT MUCH MORE THAN THE CLOTHES  ON THE BACK AND TO NOT FALL  VICTIM TO THAT SORT ANTI  IMMIGRANT AND MISINFORMATION  THAT YOU SAY IS CIRCULATING  OUT THERE.
DO YOU THINK THAT  IS MORE DIFFICULT?
BECAUSE THE  WAY THE PROCESS HAS UNFOLDED  HERE WITH NOT A LOT OF  INFORMATION FROM THE MAYOR'S  OFFICE.
YEAH.
I MEAN, I DO  UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTY OF  SOMEBODY WHO LIVES NEARBY OR,  YOU KNOW, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO  HAS BEEN DISINVESTED IN TO  FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE  OVERBURDENING US AGAIN AND NOT  GIVING US MUCH BACK.
BUT WHAT  I REALLY WANT TO MAKE CLEAR TO  RESIDENTS IS THAT THIS IS A  HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
THIS IS  HAPPENED LONG BEFORE THIS  MOMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THESE  PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TOSSED  AROUND.
AND I THINK THAT  THAT'S WHAT REALLY WHAT THE  GOVERNOR OF TEXAS WANTS.
IT'S  CONSTANTLY POINTING FINGERS  AND TOSSING PEOPLE AROUND.
AND  I AND I WANT TO STAND UP FOR  SOME SOMETHING MUCH GREATER  THAN THAT.
AND I REALLY WANT  TO MAKE A POINT ABOUT PEOPLE  HUMANE AND DIGNIFIED PROCESS  IN ORDER TO HAVE A FIGHTING  CHANCE IN THIS COUNTRY.
WELL,  BRANDIS, WE'RE GOING TO LEARN  A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL  IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
>> AND ALL HAVE A FULL STORY  LATER ON TONIGHT ABOUT THAT  MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE.
BACK  TO YOU.
>> WRIGHT HAD A SHARON.
THANK  YOU.
OF COURSE.
WE'LL SEE YOU  A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE  PROGRAM FOR SPOTLIGHT  POLITICS.
AND AS HEATHER  MENTIONED, YOU CAN READ HER  COVERAGE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING  AT W T TW DOT COM SLASH NEWS