Judge strikes down suburb's immigration-related rental ban

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: AP

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas — A federal judge found a Dallas suburb's rule prohibiting apartment rentals to illegal immigrants unconstitutional and prevented it from being enforced.

In his decision Wednesday, the judge concluded Farmers Branch didn't defer to the federal government in immigration matters. Instead, the city tried to create its own classification to determine which noncitizens could rent in Farmers Branch.

U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay also wrote that the city's attempts to salvage the ordinance faltered because they would have required the court to draft laws. That function is outside of the court's duties.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5806053.html

[pattmarty]

1. Ahhh, Texas. The "new" Alabama.

[slackmaster]

2. There's a bit of that here in California too

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/10/05/news/top_stories/3_00_0010_4_06.txt

[DBoon]

3. There has always been a little bit of that in California

This is an updated version of the old "sundown towns", where ethnic groups associated with menial labor could work but not set down roots:

"In some cases, signs were placed at the town's borders with statements similar to the one posted in Hawthorne, California which read "Nigger, Don't Let The Sun Set On YOU In Hawthorne" in the 1930s."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town

[Igel]

4. Eh. A ruling of small importance.

The overturned ruling wasn't revoked, but the new one takes effect soon.

At best, whack-a-mole. I suspect it won't be appealed, but should be appealed (just to avoid claims of estoppal later) if the new ordinance overlaps with the old one in areas that the judge ruled on.

[Jazzgirl]

5. When I read the title to the OP, I knew it had to be in

Texas. I thought Frisco but Farmers Branch is right there too.

[Avalon Sparks]

6. Eh, I hate Farmer's Branch

I lived there for 9 months in the early 90's and in that short time I got two traffic citations and a noise violation ticket. Their cops drive around in carmaro's and other muscle cars they have seized in drug raids. Also there are a lot of people buying houses and tearing them down and building mini McMansions in old neighborhoods. These McMansions look absolutely ridiculous, they take up the whole lot with no yard left over. Worst city in Texas as far as I'm concerned. I'm glad the court struck them down.

[RebelOne]

7. That rental ban was also passed in Cherokee County, GA,, where I live.

And so far, I have not heard that it has been revoked yet.

[Racinante]

8. What is wrong with the Law

If our Immigration laws were enforced we wouldn't have to have laws like these. Since the Federal government won't put owners and managers of companies who hire illegal immigrants in jail; communitites must make it very difficult to live there. If there were no jobs they would go home on their own. These folks should be arrested and sent back so I don't see the problem.

Calling an Illegal Immigrant an Undocumented Worker is the same as calling a Drug Dealer an Unlicensed Pharmacist.