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