Avondale residents pack town hall, discuss travel ban

CHICAGO (FOX 32) - Residents flooded into an Avondale neighborhood town hall on Monday night, asking questions about the travel ban executive order amid growing apprehension of the Trump administration.

"Today the president of the United States reissued his Muslim ban, which he says it not a Muslim ban, but it is a Muslim ban,” Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D) said.

Hundreds of constituents filled the auditorium at the Logandale Middle School Monday night, forcing many to stand in the back of the room. They were there to see congressman Gutierrez.

No topic was off the table but immigration was on the minds of many.

"The immigrant people that live around me are some of the best people I know,” Avondale resident Nancy Kurshan said.

Kurshan said Trump’s travel ban won't directly impact her but it will affect the lives of her neighbors.

"If we have to physically stop deportations if they start, then I'm all for that," Kurshan said.

Originally from Mexico, Guillermo Mata is now a U.S. citizen. He's not afraid of his own fate but the fate of undocumented friends who he called “hard-working people.”

"They are afraid. I have a friend that owns car a shop that has over 10 employees he is going to probably close and go down to Mexico," Mata said.

His daughter, Veronica Schwartz, was born in the United states and is Puerto Rican, Mexican, African American and Jamaican.

"My dad has worked extremely hard for everything he has and he's made me extremely proud I wouldn't want to be anything but the daughter of an immigrant,” Schwartz said.

The congressman said he will continue to fight the fears of fast-moving deportations, travel bans and xenophobia.

"This is a country in which we embrace our diversity discrimination is not tolerated," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said Monday’s showing was the largest crowd he's ever had at a town hall.