Hecklers Interrupt Obama Immigration Speech
(CBS) -- President Barack Obama came to Chicago to talk about his executive order on immigration, but the events in Ferguson just prompted an impassioned response at the Copernicus Center on the Northwest Side.
Obama said he understands the frustrations expressed by some of the protestors, but condemned any destructive response.
"There are productive ways of responding and expressing those frustrations, and there are destructive ways of responding," Obama said. "Burning buildings, torching cars, destroying property, putting people at risk. That's destructive and there's no excuse for it. Those are criminal acts and people should be prosecuted if they engage in criminal acts."
Obama's speech focused on selling his immigration plan, but was interrupted by three hecklers calling him to stop deportations.
"Mr. President that has been a lie you have been deported families," one of them said.
One of the hecklers also told Obama to stop blaming Republicans. Obama did not ask the hecklers to leave responded to them saying that he has taken now action to change immigration law. He didn't know it at the time, but they were all together, three women from the city and suburbs with a plan to make their point.
Whatever the reason, it was an unprecedented, 5-minute debate in a public forum.
Obama meet with Archbishop Blase Cupich in a 1 on 1, a 7 minute private meeting by the president's request. Chicago's new archbishop is a staunch supporter of immigration reform and they talked about what role the church might play.
