Let's give it up for Texas!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Takes a small community in Texas to finally do something meaningful about ILLEGAL immigration. This has nothing whatsoever to do with racism, discrimination or xenophobia - it has to do with preserving our way of life against an illegal and unwanted foreign threat. Good on 'em I say. Nice to see something GOOD come out of the Lone Star State lately (since Lance Armstrong anyway).

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/14/texas.immig.ap/index.html

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas (AP) -- This Dallas suburb became the first Texas city to pass tough anti-immigration measures, prompting fears of sanctioned discrimination and racism.

City Council members unanimously approved fines for landlords who rent to illegal immigrants, making English the city's official language and allowing local authorities to screen suspects in police custody to check their immigration status.

The council made the series of 6-0 votes without discussion Monday night and took comment from the public afterward. A proposal to penalize businesses that employ undocumented workers was not voted on during the meeting.

Hundreds of opponents of the ordinances gathered in the City Hall lobby and a parking lot outside, waving American flags and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in English before the votes were taken.

Inside, supporters clapped as the votes were tallied in favor of the measures and later thanked council members for their action.

Attorneys with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a civil rights advocacy group, told council members before the vote that the proposals could violate federal housing laws preventing discrimination and the First Amendment.

One of the ordinances would force untrained business owners and landlords to evaluate a wide array of immigration documents to determine if the person carrying them is legally in the country, said Marisol L. Perez, a defense fund staff attorney.

"It puts the landlord in a very difficult position. You're putting them in the shoes of an immigration officer," Perez said.

The group said it would evaluate the measures to determine their legality.

"We passed this expecting to be sued," council member Tim O'Hare said after the vote.

Since 1970, Farmers Branch has changed from a small, predominantly white bedroom community with a declining population to a city of almost 28,000 people, about 37 percent of them Hispanic, according to the census. It also is home to more than 80 corporate headquarters and more than 2,600 small and mid-size firms, many of them minority-owned.

"They're afraid that Farmers Branch is becoming Hispanic," said Christopher McGuire, a resident of the city and spokesman for a group called United Farmers Branch. "It's going to happen, and that's not a bad thing."

More than 50 municipalities nationwide have considered, passed or rejected similar laws, but until now that trend hasn't been matched in the Lone Star State.

A vote this year in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, approved fining landlords who rent to illegal immigrants, denying business permits to companies that employ them and requiring tenants to register and pay for a rental permit.

However, a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the Hazleton ordinance while he considers a lawsuit against the town by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups.

[Jims5543]

Bottom line? There is nothing wrong with being hispanic but there is a problem when your an ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT. Good for them, I hope it holds up in court.

[Joeaksa]

Agree as well! Wish more communities would go this far. Needs to be done nationwide.

[masraum]

When I turned 18 in 1988 I voted. When I voted in FL one of the things that was on the ballot was that English would be the state language of Florida. I voted for that and it was passed.

Hopefully Farmers Branch is just the first in a long line of communities to target illegal immigration.

[Nathans_Dad]

Good for them. Farmers Branch is actually not too far from where I plan to move.

Unfortunately the ACLU machine will grind into action and beat these poor guys to a bloody pulp.

[hardflex]

I would bet the challenges come from property owners wanting to fill an otherwise vacant rental property. Having to make payments on an empty house will be the issue.

[IROC]

Good for them. The "illegal" part of "illegal alien" gets left out waaay too often. These people are not here legally and should not be afforded things like "first amendment rights".

Mike

[red-beard]

You forgot, we are also installing webcams with IR and UV capabilities, and then just publishing them on the internet. Anyone can look and then call the ICE unit if they see something.

Sounds very 1984...

[sammyg2]

There are lawyers lining up to sue this town. Unfortunately they will probably all win too. I think I've already expressed my extreme level of contempt towards the ACLU. The same goes for "minority" specail interest organizations.
In this country it is perfectly OK to have the United negro College fund, the National association for the advancement for colored people, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Jewish defense league, and many, many more but if someone started an organization for caucasians only, he would be tarred and feathered and called hate monger, nazi, racist, and klan member.
I'm all for non-profit organizations to help people, but why the double standard?
it can't be because all those other groups are for minorities, in so Cal caucasians are a minority.
it must be that the 'protected groups" took political correctness too far.

[stevepaa]

Should have been done by the Wampanoag

[skipdup]

Originally posted by masraum
When I turned 18 in 1988 I voted. When I voted in FL one of the things that was on the ballot was that English would be the state language of Florida. I voted for that and it was passed.

Hopefully Farmers Branch is just the first in a long line of communities to target illegal immigration.

Weird. I turned 18 in '88, in FL (and voted that year), drive a Porsche and currently reside in TX. You dad wasn't a milkman, was he?

[turbo6bar]

As long as citizens are ready to go cold turkey on cheap labor, I say go for it.