| Submit your comments on this article | |
| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- | |
| Town Bans: illegal immigrants from renting houses: We've got to put a Line in the sand sometime | |
| 2008-01-23 | |
| FARMERS BRANCH – City officials whose previous attempts to keep out illegal immigrants have been blocked by the courts took another shot Tuesday, adopting an ordinance that would not only ban them from renting apartments but also from renting houses. The City Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2952, which would require all renters to pay a $5 fee and claim U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status to obtain an occupancy license from the city. About 40 people spoke during the roughly two-hour meeting, with a slight majority in favor of the ordinance. Supporters said that while the ordinance may not resolve the illegal immigration issue, it's a step in the right direction. And some, led by council member Jim Smith, said they'd like to see the city also go after employers who hire illegal workers. But opponents said they believe the law will also get hung up in the courts and ultimately be found unconstitutional. Others said the licensing process will cause potential renters to move to other cities and cause financial losses for property owners. cough, eh, ah, we want them to leave you idiots Other opponents said the city should spend money on redevelopment efforts and other programs rather than fighting against the illegal immigration efforts. we surrender, pass me a taco
bout time someone said that in public | |
| Posted by:Icerigger |
| #6 NO AMNESTY!! DEPORT ILLEGALS!! BUILD THE FENCE!! ENFORCE THE LAWS ON THE BOOKS!! |
| Posted by: RD 2008-01-23 22:38 |
| #5 That was my point, that it was a serious mistake to try and make landlords enforce the rules. Landlords have no way of telling if ID is real or fake. They don't even have access to the employer verification system. What really stunk about it was that landlords could then be punished if someone snuck a fake ID past them. This way, either a landlord is obeying the law, or they are not. They know where they stand. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-01-23 18:31 |
| #4 Escondido, CA, took a similar approach. The difference was they tried to make it the responsibility of the landlords to verify that their tenants were in the country legally. Some of the landlords weren't too happy about that. Escondido's ordinance was repealed after the ACLU took them to court. Don't be surprised if the ACLU steps into this one too. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2008-01-23 14:58 |
| #3 This also works from the legal angle, because while there might be an argument against citizenship tests for renters, it has to stand with two other arguments. Cities must determine rental properties for tax and zoning purposes; *and* cities have long controlled and restricted rental properties in college towns, which is a racket, but a legal one, going way back. Both of these are so important for cities that they will fight tooth and claw to keep them, and thus occupancy licenses will stand up in court. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-01-23 14:57 |
| #2 Singapore does this. It's a very effective way of detering illegal residents. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2008-01-23 13:39 |
| #1 Now *this* will work. The other efforts failed because they tried to have renters enforcing the law, by checking IDs, yet with no way of knowing if they were real or not. That is not their job, it is the job of government. It is no different than ordering people to stop other people from littering. It is not their job. In *this* case, however, the city, which has the resources to check IDs, does so. Therefore, the system will work and if someone illegally rents to an illegal, then there is no excuse. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-01-23 13:20 |