Illinois NAACP President Teresa Haley has apologized “to anyone who may have been hurt or offended” when she said migrants were rapists and “like savages,” while branch presidents said they “unanimously supported” her leadership.

       Haley made the initial comments, which were recorded on video, during a statewide meeting. She objected to migrants receiving shelter and clothing while saying Black people in need have long gone without such assistance.

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       “I love and value all members of our communities — including Immigrants,” she wrote in a news release Thursday. “I have worked tirelessly to advocate for the underserved and the voiceless. I remain focused on denouncing injustices, racism, and discrimination. I am empathetic to the plight of all people, and I proudly serve as a beacon of hope to the hopeless.

       “I embrace the mission of the NAACP, which is to ‘Achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.’”

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       Haley made her initial comments during a video conference with other leaders of the state NAACP in November. Former DuPage County NAACP President Patrick Watson released the video Tuesday, while resigning and calling for Haley’s resignation.

       Watson received an “unprecedented and embarrassing” vote of no confidence by his branch members Nov. 14, Haley’s release stated.

       Michael Childress, a DuPage County board member who succeeded Watson as DuPage branch president, said Watson also had been told to undergo training earlier this year after a dispute over the event.

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       Childress said the NAACP is not a monolith, and has passionate members with differing opinions, so when they have a meeting, they should expect it to remain private. He noted that the FBI tried to undermine Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders by surveilling and recording them.

       Illinois law generally prohibits the secret recording of a conversation without the consent of those involved.

       Watson responded that Haley first suggested the recording was doctored or out of context, before admitting to it, and now was trying to deflect criticism.

       He said he had run-ins with members over questionable business practices he was trying to rein in, and said the recorded meeting involved public figures with no declaration that it was private.

       “It’s unfortunate she would sink to that level to try to make the story about me,” Watson said. “This story is about her bigoted comments and her ability to twist the truth.”

       In the video, Haley stated, “But black people have been on the streets forever and ever, and nobody cares, because they say that we’re drug addicts, we’ve got mental health issues. But these immigrants who come over here they’ve been raping people, they’ve been breaking into homes, they’re like savages as well. They don’t speak the language and they look at us like we’re crazy.”

       rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com