Nov 17 2006
Anti-Immigrant Ordinance Blocked
GUESTS: Cynthia Valenzuela, Director of Litigation for MALDEF and Hal Rosner, an attorney with the Rosner and Mansfield firm
Last month, Escondido’s City Council passed a controversial ordinance that would effectively bar landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants. In response, civil rights lawyers and activists filed for a restraining order to bar enforcement of the ordinance. Earlier this week, lawyers for the city argued that the ordinance is constitutional and accused the coalition of civil rights lawyers seeking a restraining order of misinterpretations. However, just yesterday, a federal judge ruled against attorneys for the city of Escondido by ruling to temporarily block the enforcement of the ordinance. If the anti-immigrant ordinance were ever to be eventually implemented, landlords would have to submit documentation of the immigration status of their tenants to the city. If landlords rent to undocumented immigrants, the law would demand eviction of the tenants within 10 days. If the time allotted passes without action, landlords would face penalties.
For more information, visit MALDEF and ACLU of San Diego
One Response to “Anti-Immigrant Ordinance Blocked”
Horrible.Landlords will be reluctant to rent to anyone who is Hispanic for fear of being fined $1000 a day if someone claims tenant are undocumented. It becomes an extra hassle for the landlord. However like in PA. Before the law was stopped Hispanics left the town and businesses of all the community including farmers are suffering because Hispanics revitalized the dying town.People in America have the right to shelter and cannot be discriminated on the basis of many things including national origin.It’s in Federal housing Law and should superecede these racist laws.