Last March, Mike Shiley showed “Inside Iraq: The Untold Story” as part of University Board’s Lecture Series.

Just after, a Facebook group titled “Americans Against Mike Shiley” was formed.

Shiley, self-financing filmmaker, said the group attracted over 200 people and someone posted a death threat on its wall.

Shiley said it was not even that great of a death threat because the person said antlers should be put on Shiley and then shot.

Because of this, Shiley asked for added security to Tuesday’s film and discussion on immigration.

Shiley said the death threat was at the time of the Virginia Tech shooting and he took it seriously.

With the recent shootings last week, especially the one at Northern Illinois University, and the controversial nature of the topic, Shiley asked UB for security at the lecture.

A police officer stood at each door. Before entering, those attending had to empty their pockets while the officers waved a wand over their bodies.

Shiley said he felt like he passed a test of fire Tuesday night.

He said he came wearing his “fighting suit” and was prepared for more of a challenge from the audience.

Shiley’s most recent film “Solving Immigration: The Truth is Out There” showed at Lumpkin Hall Auditorium to a crowd of 12 people.

The film focused only on Latin American immigration. A discussion followed the showing of the documentary, where audience members were able to ask Shiley questions.

Shiley said he expected a full house but added immigration is a more dry, indirect issue than his last film about Iraq.

“It’s less personal,” Shiley said.

Eastern students have served in Iraq but there are no Eastern students that are illegal immigrants, Shiley said.

Ryan Kerch, junior biology major and UB lectures coordinator, said the turnout was a big disappointment but said everyone that came got something out of it.

Doris Nordin, of Charleston, came to the lecture/discussion to learn more about immigration.

Nordin is from Monterrey, Mexico and has lived the United States for six years.

Nordin said while she was living and working in a big city in Mexico, she wasn’t aware of the immigration problems. She married an American man and he is why she came to the U.S.

She said since coming to the U.S. she has learned more about the issue.

Nordin said she now knows illegal immigrants.

“I know their stories,” Nordin said. “I know their fears.”

She said she knows why they’re here too.

“I’d love to see them working, not like slaves, but like you and me,” Nordin said.

Shiley’s main point was that immigration is all about money.

Nordin agreed with him on this point but said his film was a “bit limited” in what he showed, but the discussion afterward explained the issue of immigration more.

Shiley said he incorporated “South Park” clips, YouTube clips and creative, outrageous characters with the hope that people will keep one or two of the facts from the film.

Shiley said his film was about solutions.

Shiley said it usually is rare to have a lot of controversy over his films. He said he has only had two flare-ups, one in Portland with liberals and one in Charleston with conservatives.

He said he would never make the radicals on either side happy because he makes his films balanced.

“I hope people who came tonight realize that these black and white issues are not so black and white,” Shiley said.

He said people from both sides of the political spectrum want the same solutions.

“This is one issue that we could solve quickly if we worked together,” Shiley said.

Mike Shiley’s 4-step solution:

1. Secure the border

2. Pathway to Legalization

3. Guest worker program

4. Economic development in Latin America

Emily Zulz can be reached at 581-7942 or at eazulz@eiu.edu.

Journalist, Mike Shiley speaks about his views on immigration on his “Four Solutions” for solving the immigration problem in the United States Tuesday night at Lumpkin Auditorium. (John Bailey/The Daily Eastern News)

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