Priest Calls Detention Center Backers 'Racist'; City Manager Fights Back
Tom Thanas said the Catholic church should examine its own issues with human dignity before criticizing the city for considering an immigrant detention facility.
Joliet City Manager Tom Thanas, irked that a local priest called immigrant detention center supporters "racist," not only refused to retract a sarcastic comment he made about the Catholic church but criticized their position on the issue as hypocritical.
For weeks, members of different religious groups have been attending Joliet City Council meetings to speak against a detention center being built in Joliet. At each meeting, Thanas explains that no plans have been presented so all discussion on the subject is "academic."
But Thanas seemed to have reached the boiling point Tuesday night when the Rev. Peter Jankowski, pastor of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, told the council that those who support immigrant detention centers are racists.
"I've come to realize that the phrase illegal alien or Joliet detention center has turned into a code to slander people of our country with different colored skin," Jankowski said.
"We have a saying in the country. You can dress up a pig, but it's still a pig, and this pig is called racism. This is racism of the worst kind. It's like saying slavery is OK or internment camps are OK."
Although Thanas did not respond at the time Jankowski spoke, he was moved to do so later when City Councilman Larry Hug suggested he apologize for a sarcastic comment he made earlier in the meeting about the Catholic diocese moving its headquarters to Crest Hill but returning to criticize city actions.
"You know what, Larry, I am not going to apologize because I've had five Catholic priests come to the podium and lecture me, and the last one, Father Jankowski, talked about racism. If someone is in favor of a detention center, that person's a racist," he said.
"I have to tell the Office of Human Dignity of the Catholic diocese to look at its own religion and deal with some of its own human dignity issues that have gone on in the Catholic church for the last 30 years before they come to this city council chamber and lecture me about racism."
The comment was a veiled reference to the ongoing problems the Catholic church has had with pedophile priests.
The idea of a possible immigrant detention center being built in Joliet emerged in October. Thanas went to Washington, D.C., to hear more about the project -- which is to be built somewhere in Chicago or its surrounding suburbs -- and to determine if Corrections Corporation of America might consider Joliet as a location.
Thanas has stayed in contact with private prison firm and plans to travel at his own expense to tour a CCA immigration facility in Houston, but the company has not approached the city about building anything here, he said.
And Tuesday, Thanas stressed again that some of the information community members are circulating about a potential detention center is inaccurate.
Many opponents believe the need to keep the center filled will result in immigration officials looking for illegal immigrants locally, causing families to be divided and Joliet's economy to be irreparably harmed if undocumented workers are deported or move from the area out of fear.
Jankowski said that with immigration reform on the horizon, neither the Obama administration, nor Republicans, support such centers.
That's not true, Thanas said. The president supports the continued use of detention centers but only to rid the country of those illegal aliens committing serious crimes, he said.
"This is a key part of the administration's efforts at immigration reform," Thanas said.
"Right now, the people who are in the process of deportation are criminals. These are people who are pedophiliacs, they're drug dealers, they're violent criminals, they're tax cheats," he said. "It's not the government that's breaking up the family, it's the criminal that's breaking up the family."
Detention centers not only remove detainees from federal prisons, where it costs $400 to $500 a day to house them, but expedite the deportation process because a judge will be on site to hear cases, he said.
Jankowski also told the council he felt compelled to speak for the Hispanics in the community because he was tired of hearing them referred to as "those people" and he wanted to ensure their voices were heard because they have "very little to no representation on this council itself."
"Let's learn from the lessons of our past. Instead of incarcerating immigrants, let's try to love them. Instead of trying incarcerate immigrants, let's learn to talk to them."
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Devildog
5:11 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Do any of these people, not understand what ILEAGLE means?
Mark Donahue
7:51 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Good for Thanas for finally speaking his mind. I can only assume that these Catholic priests keep showing up because hispanics as a whole are very religious and very Catholic(and very gullible?). But the man is making ridiculous, unfounded statements.
Why should people who are here ILLEGALLY be protected? An economy shouldn't rely on money from law breakers. That's just kind of sad. And certainly no reason to give them a free pass.
Vicki Murphy
8:01 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
This detention center will not be built to house only illegal immigrants. It will be built to house illegal immigrants who are criminal felons. These convicted felons will be deported back to the countries they are citizens of. We have enough of our own citizens who are criminal felons already. I also do not feel that people from cities outside of Joliet need to be trying to influence how Joliet makes decisions.
Phil Besler
10:09 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Nice common sense comment...That's applause you here Vicki..
Kurt Bihler
12:12 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
For profit prisons are the lowest, basest, kind of greed. Profit from human suffering. Thanas is really showing himself to be insensitive to mankind. I'm ashamed our city employs some one like this.
edjo66
9:31 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Spoken as a true consumer. For profit prisons is a business and what this country was built on. 1) a need for service or goods, 2) the provision of service or goods, 3)the employment of American workers to provide the service and goods. The Government has already proven it's unable to properly manage our tax dollars.Ironically they give our money to many of the services offered to (illegal and criminal) persons we need detaind.I would rather have some of thoses tax dollars earmarked to the paychecks and operational business costs of our own citizens. As for human suffering, what a great incentive to come here and follow ALL the same rules we as MANKIND are asked to follow.
Phillip Cleary
1:23 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
This "for profit" prison would be built to house the non profitable criminals among us.
As a member of St. Pats I do have to tell you Father Pete that all you are worried about is the bottom line as it effects the Diocese. If you were truly worried about Racism you wouldn't have separated masses at St. Pats. What is more racist maintaining the rule of law or self segregation?
Maybe it is time to start thinking about the non-taxable status of the church if they are going to continue to meddle in government business.
Rev
1:00 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
God forbid we should lock-up and deport people that commit crimes while here illegally. I would think everyone would support this, criminals are criminals regardless of their country of birth.
anonymous
1:08 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
For profit prisons make our corrupt legal and judicial system even more corrupt than it is. Our yoyo Guv is handing out legal documents in the form of drivers licenses to people who are illegal to pander for a few votes which is moronic also.
anonymous
1:12 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Also this CCA that Thanas is sucking up to is pure scum that is nothing more than a $ maker to jail people for every little offense in order to get govt $-they are simply corporate welfare queens.
Just another anonymous voice
6:21 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Mr. Thanas, You should revoke all the funding to Daybreak and see how fast the Catholic Diocese changes their views and decides to be quiet.
Bobby Smith
2:41 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Yep. Can I get an AMEN???
M&M
6:25 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thanas keeps saying no plans have been presented, so all this talk is academic. That's the best time for people to express views. For gods sake, you are going to Houston for a tour, you went to DC, you want people to wait to wait untill the train has left the station, then its too late. Let people exercise their rights to question what your plans are, and please stop being so smug when they do. In my opinion you crossed the line with the comments toward the Church.
Bobby Smith
2:55 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Oh, so Mr. Thanas has to sit there and take it? How dare you sir suggest that. As a Catholic I cheer Mr. Thanas for bring that up. The Church wants to leave the City of Joliet and then wants it to follow it bidding. How rude. Illegal people are in this country. The first rule of Law broken is that they are an Illegal Alien. What other crimes can the illegal do? Many. How dare a person come into this country and not follow the rules. We have people that are waiting to come in and follow the Laws of the Land. The illegals are cheating. Cheating us, the people that want to legally be here and themselves. The illegals are acting like spoiled, crying children. "I want to be here!!! Needer needer poo poo, I am here now!!! See I did not have to do what you say!!!! I can do what I want!!! When I want!!! I do not have to listen to you America!!!! Give me everything under the law!!!" When a child acts out we punish them. When we find an illegal we punish them also. Because it is not ok to break the law.
james221
7:05 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
It would be much cheaper to just immediately execute all illegal aliens when caught.
No trial, no appeal, just public hangings.
John Roberts
7:10 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
2 debates in same week...Give illegals licenses and build a immigration detention center...And people do not think that government wants total chaos?...so ifyou get a license they know your illegal..are you arrested?when you get pulled over and show your license are you arrested?...All a big game to get citizens fighting eachother and to stay mad at each other...WHy because the more violence we show to each other the more laws the government will pass..next it will be you too can get arrested for being with /hanging out with an immigrant....keep it up people the same walls we build to keep people out will be the same ones that keep us in...Take a look at the IRS..if you owe them money you do not get a passport and can not legally leave the U.S....Everyone just keep going to government to solve things...its just worked out so great...Know why they want to build the center?...Because people running around complaining about the illegals instead of picking up the pace to keep your job some person who can not even speak English can do better...I saw whites and blacks in the work force...and I am here to tell you all in construction..no one works like the Mexicans do..and I am as white as you can get...I had to pick up my pace to keep my job..not because they were Mexican..but because they worked their hind ends off all day not just part of it..all day...We Americans are all illegals..but we wont talk about that..
Carolina
1:00 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Couldn't have said it better myself. Especially the part about us Mexicans working our hind ends off all day. And most of all about all of Americans being illegal in this country. Did we get any permissions from the Native American tribes to settle here??? I don't think sooooo.....
Amanda Bowl
8:03 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Joliet already has trouble with providing police services with all of it's budget woes to protect it's citizens. Why do they want a facility that will not bring nothing but a strain on their budget to come to their city?
edjo66
9:53 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Amanda: This facility is not being operated, staffed, or run by the Joliet Police Dept. While the Police department is seriously under staffed due to budget issues this will not effect current police service (good or bad) to it's citizens.
no love
8:39 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
To all you narrow minded one sided thinkers(racists) we want to build a prison for illegal but yet were giving them drivers licenses. It's not just Mexicans who are ILLEGAL I just love how that's the first that comes to mind I have family that is illegal and trust me do they wish they were from America not because they want to commit crime but to live a decent life.....why don't you pack your bags and live in Mexico with all the drug cartels huh oh yeah because your to busy hiding behind your computer screen making rash comments about illegals. There's criminals everywhere doesn't make sense on seperating the illegal criminals from the legal ones does it. So for all you pro prison people take a step back and realize what your saying just because your not illegal doesn't mean your neighbor isnt or the guy cooking your food or the one fixing your car.
edjo66
11:00 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
no love: I don't believe I am of narrow mind nor a racist if anything i am a realist. This is not a racial issue. It is a compliance of society issue. I agree with you, We should not be providing drivers licences nor any other services to illegal/ undocumented persons with our tax dollars. I also agree it's not just Mexicans who are here illegally. (they do make up the majority only due to the fact they do not have an ocean to cross to get here) This is not the "Mexican Detention Facility" Furthermore I fully understand why people want to come to this country and make a life for themselves. It's the same reason the first immigrants had when they arrived in this country. The only thing we ask is if you want to live here,work here,and benifit from what this country has to offer then follow the rules. Enter this country legally, become a citizen, get a job, pay taxes, buy a house, raise your famil,y and follow the laws our society has put in place to protect all of it's people.
J. Ann
6:01 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
what do you and/or your family think of La Raza? 'splain please.
J. Ann
6:02 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
MS 13?
anonymous
10:17 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
J Roberts-no we are not "all illegals". The illegals are allowed because they crush wages and work like dogs and when the Dems make them legal they will automatically vote Dem like the negroes because the Dems hand out the most free sh!t.
John Roberts
10:29 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
lol Do you know who,s hiring these people? not just corporations...citizens do..the same people that talk crap about them...don't get me wrong I used to be the same way..was just as mad at "illegals" but then ya just take a look at em...First track all the way through mexico most of them..and I am talking 8yr olds on top of a train alone with no parents up there with other people,then if and I mean if you make it through mexico,then you have to be smuggled through the boarder through means not fit for humans period left into containerssemi trailors,cars to die in desert heat to die or swim across a river,take a chance of being shot by boarder patrol,then track through the desert alone or with a bunch of people you don't know and as one 10 year old put it "He saw a mom and daughter get raped on the box car"..then you get to come here and bust your a$$ for less pay and be threatened by the employer that they will call immigration,then get to have people who barely want tot get out of bed let alone work at all and think every company owes them something..complain that they are working harder for less...And whyis all of this?..Because going through things the legal way takes too long when ya need food now..most came here to work and went through all of this just to do so...Now its obvious you have to be pretty desperate go through all of this...they could turn to drug dealing but most want to work
John Roberts
10:50 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Dems and Republicans the same you don't see that yet?..they"re just labels nothing more..it is a one government..when the president can bypass all congress and house and go to war Dems and Republicans mean nothing..what difference did Dems and Republicans make In the wars?...not a one..both dems and republicand both have been Presidents through undeclared wars...And yep do you know why different presidents hand out different things? because its all a sham to keep people in chaos and hating eachother..Why one neighbor is not liking the other because one gets food stamps and one don't..if people are not talking their not grouping...that means their power is less...Vote...yep we seen how the voting was done..all rigged up..all the 18 media stations that have 18 different broadcasters and only one writer for them all broadcasted true resultslying right to the people saying Romney won then 2 weeks later in a little clip and said oh yeah 2 weeks ago ROn Paul won Iowa,we seen how free speech zones were enforced,we seen how the voting stations were shut down that the state suspected would get the most Ron Paul votes,We seen out right that none of our vote matter and only the electoral collage that does not give a crap about your vote but only the interests of big corporations...but some have not realized this yet
ssssskip
10:51 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I have and worked with illegals immigrants, know first and second generation legal mexicans. They are the most self serving, indignant racist people in our country.
Marilynn Reinhardt
11:34 am on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
You can't paint everyone with the same brush. Would you like to be compared to Charles Manson because you share the same citizenship? Doesn't make sense, does it?
boozer mcgee
11:36 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Washington politicians are destroying America from within our own borders just to get re-elected by the entitlement pigs that OINK at whatever Obama and his administration tell them to do in order that they keep getting fed at the government feeding troffs at the cost of the LEGAL TAX PAYERS CHECK BOOK!
Bobby Smith
3:11 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
And, people that knowingly break the Rule of Law of our land by being here illegally are ok? Because it is ok to have law breakers as upstanding members of society? To show children it is ok not to follow the law and do what ever feels good? You want that video game just steal it. Take it. That is what mommy and daddy did to be in America. We stole it. We took it because we want it. To hell with the other people waiting to be here. To hell for the people that died to make America the home of the FREE.
Kristine Neumann
11:59 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
edjo66, I couldn't have said it better. I can't help but wonder if my school taxes would go down if every illegal would be deported.
lala
12:55 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I am with you Tom Thanas on this one.
Muha
2:15 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thanas is disgusting bringing up the issues of the Catholic Church when it has nothing to do with the issue at hand. I think there should be something done about the illegals who are criminals. He needs to act like a respectable adult and stop attacking the Catholic Church. If Joliet stops funding to places like Daybreak no one better ever complain about the homeless people on the street.
J. Ann
5:58 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
And the Catholic priest wasn't exactly a saint for calling anyone racist who supports the detention center. Thanas was basically saying "mind your own business!" The Catholic church has enough problems with its pedophile priest issue and yet they go on the racial slur attack. NOT. It was just a very inappropriate and unkind label, and most people don't like being labeled. RACIST is the current favorite label when one runs out of quality things to say.
no love
2:20 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Well hmm maybe ILLEGALS wouldnt be here if we wouldn't keep giving them jobs.....so maybe we should arrest all the white I mean legal citizens breaking the law hiring these undocumented HUMANS not "illegals" or is there no law against hiring illegals so they keep coming there is more to the issue than taxes or immigration prisons our whole govt is corrupt so maybe you should complain to them.
Bobby Smith
3:04 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
yes all citizens should be arrested that hire illegals. Oh, I knew of a man that was a Naturalized Citizen from Mexico. He knowing hired mostly illegal workers to "help them out." Because, it was the right thing to do. I did the right thing also. I called the authorities. He business was shut down. He lost his house. He spent time in prison. And, the workers were sent back to their legal country. I felt proud to be an American. This man violated tax laws, hiring laws, and other Rules of Law were broken. And, because this guy gave me this information freely, I could go to jail for not letting the government know. And, I refuse to lie for anyone in the courts. And, I won't go to jail for something someone else believes in that breaks the law.
John Roberts
11:00 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
then you only force them to steal an identity,then they go to prison and get all of the things they had to work fo for free at the cost of $42000 a year,then we deport them and bam right back and stealing another one...Are people not seeing what they have to go through to get here in the first place? its not like they flew fist class,and why? just to work...Force them not to be able to work and what will happen? can we not see further than right now?..More people will hide out and sell drugs..And you can bet people will hide them..white,black,mexican and collect money in hiding them...Is there not a thing right now been going on for years where a white lady marries a Mexican man and he gets to stay and work and she gets money while they live separate lives away from each other?...a "Pay Off" as we call it. yes there is...humans are humans and to force people to sneak only causes people to not get treatments for spreadable diseases,lives to be lost,slavery,child prostitution..Why? because you do not even know they are here and exist..but they do...but have to hide..
ALLEN KURTZ
3:24 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Why do we have to build one ? We have one empty right on collins st .
no love
3:28 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wow sounds like a productive citizen to America bobby smith I'm sure your mother is very proud of you u douche
Bobby Smith
4:42 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
My mother helped me make my decision, thank you. I guess your mother never taught you manners, about being an upstanding citizen, to follow the law, about how it is not nice to call people names, that being a bully is ok and to hide. I put my name out there, no love. But, i guess your handle describes that you are antisocial person. Unable to follow the Rule of Law. I am going to flag your remark. You should be ashamed at yourself to degrade a person. Oh, and here is the meaning of antisocial for your reference. 1.
unwilling or unable to associate in a normal or friendly way with other people:
2.
antagonistic, hostile, or unfriendly toward others; menacing; threatening: an antisocial act.
3.
opposed or detrimental to social order or the principles on which society is constituted
4.
Psychiatry. of or pertaining to a pattern of behavior in which social norms and the rights of others are persistently violated.
John Roberts
11:13 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
hey BS lol...George Washington once said "The best way to repeal a law is to strictly enforce it"...Know what he meant?..He mean some laws are wrong...and to show the government it is wrong all the government has to do is strictly enforce it and the blow back from doing so will be a great one...Look at alcohol,War on drugs,..We now have some countries legalizing all drugs not just some but all even prescriptions because the law was enforce to a point where it was worse than the drug use and users its self...He meant that in a free society it is exactly that..free you can enforce laws to a point where the people you enforce them upon no longer care..You think the Mexicans are scared of getting busted?..Hell no their pi$$ed because they lost all of that money to the smuggler...now they gotta save up again to try it again..because the immigration thing to some is starting to pi$$ us off..we are America but were building walls around the freest country in the world like a prison,Owe the IRS? you don't leave not even a familys death you have to get permission.Nice huh?..keep it up keep on demanding the government do something and just see where it gets us...one side locking people uo,one side screaming racists,one side yelling knock it off..and everyone fighting..exactly where government want us..the more they fight the less they talk the less they gather..
no love
9:49 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Too much time on your hands buddy get a job
no love
10:09 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Sounds like an illegal took your job that's why u seem so ignorant towards immigrants
Tony
7:55 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
A detention center is going to be built no matter what anyone says and it will bring some jobs into the lucky city who gets the center and I would like those jobs to be in Joliet. People who are here illegally are breaking the law and that is the end of the story.
John Roberts
11:10 am on Sunday, February 24, 2013
nope not the end of story...protests,more police actions,the more this town turns into a national spotlight that can bring violence and protests from both sides illegals and the people who have to pay for these "illegals" to be housed...you have to see past this immigration thing and see what it is...Who is going to own the prison? Is it private or city owned? Who stands to make the profit from imprisoning these people from "TAX PAYER MONEY" ? the city or the private owner...And also are we going to have costly debates that lead to court room decisions at millions a year?about Racial profiling...Know how many polish people are here that look just like Americans?What is Americans? it is an illusion of belonging..thats it..And no one can tell if you are a citizen until your pulled over.. know how many People will be pulled over in Joliet after this is enacted? No one will be safe from the amount of police action that will be going on..You can bet the odds will be stacked against you as to how many times you will be pulled over a day...Were going to turn this place into riot central...we don't need the chaos,the Police state,the violence and protests,the Rights activists groups raising hell in Joliet...It only brings more police actions and more laws to be passed that the only way to enforce them is through more violence...
cornholio
5:42 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
wish I had the medical ins. from the govt' like these illeagle beaners do go to hell wet backs