Calfornia City Bars Illegals Immigrants from Renting - Yahoo News

[Frazzled Educator]

Calif. city bars illegal immigrants from renting

By Tim Gaynor 44 minutes ago

ESCONDIDO, California (Reuters) - Local authorities in Escondido, California passed a controversial measure on Wednesday to prohibit landlords from renting to illegal immigrants, a law which opponents say is racist.

The city is the latest of several from California to Pennsylvania which have passed laws in recent months to deny access to housing or jobs to illegal immigrants in their communities.

Lawmakers in Escondido, which lies about 50 miles north of the Mexican border near San Diego, passed the measure by a 3-2 vote following a heated debate that was interrupted by shouts, chants and catcalls.

Police officers removed two men from the council chamber after an argument erupted, while outside city hall dozens of police and sheriff's department officers separated boisterous supporters and opponents of the law. There were no arrests.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061019/us_nm/usa_immigration_housing_dc

What the hell is wrong with San Diego County?

[TomInTib]

1. I'll bet the landlords are pissed off.

That is just bullshit.

[Tom Joad]

2. This law is a crime.

[MercutioATC]

17. Why??

:shrug:

[DBoon]

3. Escondido landlords now have an excuse for not renting to Mexicans

Or anyone who looks like they might be Mexican.

[Deja Q]

6. Just show ID.

It's happening to everyone for more and more reasons.

If anything, lawyers and fake ID peddlers will benefit most. Class-action lawsuits from legal immigrants and illegals getting forged credentials will probably become popular; especially the former.

[Frazzled Educator]

9. do you normally support bigots and bigotted laws?

[BlooInBloo]

13. Damn - beat me to it. lol!

[BlooInBloo]

11. Wonderful. Now DUers support every hispanic American having....

... to show ID.

What group of wonderful bigoted geniuses DUers have become.

[DBoon]

18. I bet someone who looks Anglo will NEVER have to show ID

All those illegals from Ireland will never be bothered

[Deja Q]

4. What if other countries had illegal alien problems.

Would they do the same thing?

It's not an easy decision, but we can't even feed our own legal people.

I see nothing racist about this decision. Those who say it is are presuming that there is only one nationality of people illegally coming into this country, which is rather obtuse thinking (and racist thinking too.)

[Systematic Chaos]

10. Don't you think in most cases it would be easier to help them become legal

Rounding them up, throwing them in jail and then transporting them back to wherever to be deporteded (often many times) is probably twice as expensive as teaching them a functional level of English, some basic work skills a la Job Corps and then letting them find their way as citizens. Which brings me to how little it would actually cost to feed and house our legal people, as you say, in comparison to - I dunno - this illegal clusterfuck in Iraq.

I'm not flaming you or anything, but this issue is a glaring example of just how effed up our priorities are in this country. And it's really sad.

[originalpckelly]

15. Other countries like Mexico itself?

"Mexico

Mexico has accepted large numbers of immigrants during wars such as World War I (Germany, Yugoslavia, Poland, etc.); the Spanish Civil War, the Stalinist USSR (notably Leon Trotsky) and exilees from the South American and Central American dictatorships. It has also received those who are fleeing their native areas for religious persecution such as the Russian Molokans and Christian Lebanese and Mennonites. However, in the last decades, Mexico has received illegal immigrants as the result of civil war in Central America, many of whom attempt to eventually cross the US border illegally. Some of the immigrants are members of the Mara Salvatrucha, a criminal organization whose members have terrorized various places in Mexico, and in the States have currently extended their activities as far north as Washington, DC. It is said that the U.S. is pressuring Mexico and paying for the deportation of Central American origin.

In the first eight months of 2005 alone, more than 120,000 people from Central America have been deported to their countries of origin. This is a significantly higher percentage than in 2002, when for the entire year, only 130,000 people were deported <14>. Other important group of people are those of Chinese origin, who pay about $5,500 to smugglers to be taken to Mexico from Hong Kong. It is estimated that 2.4% of rejections for work permits in Mexico correspond to Chinese citizens <15>. Many women from Eastern Europe, Asia, United States and Central and South America are also offered jobs at table dance establishments in large cities throughout the country causing the National Institute of Migration (INM) in Mexico to raid strip clubs and deport foreigners who work without the proper documentation <16>. After the Argentine economic crisis of 2001 many Argentines have chosen to immigrate to Mexico either temporarily or permanently. Many of these are currently working in the country with the proper documentation, including some who work also in table dance establishments. In 2004, the INM deported 188,000 people at a cost of $10 million <17>.

Mexico has very strict immigration laws pertaining to both illegal and legal immigrants.<18> The Mexican constitution restricts non-citizens or foreign-born persons from participating in politics, holding office, acting as a member of the clergy, or serving on the crews of Mexican-flagged ships or airplanes. Certain legal rights are waived in the case of foreigners, such as the right to a deportation hearing or other legal motions. In cases of flagrante delicto, any person may make a citizen's arrest on the offender and his accomplices, turning them over without delay to the nearest authorities."

I think there are definitely people on the right who are racist and against illegal immigration, but I don't think someone has to be racist to be against illegal immigration. It's kind of like saying all vegetarians hate Jewish people because Hitler was a vegetarian.

[Gormy Cuss]

5. Perfectly stupid lawmaking.

Regardless of what one thinks of the immigration issues, there is no reason for anyone to put up with a citzenship/green card test just to rent an apartment. What next, show the green card or passport before you are allowed to buy groceries?

[BlooInBloo]

7. ROFL!!! They're depressing their own housing prices.

[marmar]

8. I get the feeling that much of this anti-immigrant fervor relates to this:

The growth of the Latino population promises to have profound cultural, political, and economic effects. ``I think we've already seen these changes," said Clara Rodriguez, a sociology professor at Fordham University.

The US added 2.8 million people last year -- a little more than a million from immigration and about 1.7 million because births outnumbered deaths.

The United States is the third-largest country in the world, behind China and India. America's population is increasing by a little less than 1 percent a year, a pace that will keep it in third place for the foreseeable future, said Carl Haub, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau.

The world, with a population of 6.5 billion, is growing a little faster than 1 percent a year.

By the time the US population hits 400 million, in the 2040s, white non-Hispanics will be but a bare majority. Hispanics are projected to make up close to one-quarter of the population, and blacks more than 14 percent. Asians will increase their share of the population to more than 7 percent.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/06/26/us_population_expected_to_top_300_million_in_fall/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News


Good, old-fashioned racial fear and paranoia. It's as American as apple pie, sadly.

[flyingfysh]

12. won't landlords complain?

They'll be stuck with all these apartments they won't be able to rent.

[EFerrari]

14. I guess round ups are next. n/t

[The Straight Story]

16. They will tie it to smoking soon:

Allowing them to live there legally will increase the cost of health care, and all that. Give it time...