Immigration Law

Court Fight Over Illegal-Immigrant Rental Ban Becoming Expensive For Farmers Branch

By Robert Kraft

The latest development in the seemingly never-ending saga of Farmers Branch's battle against illegal immigrants may have the city dipping into its savings to pay for the continuing court costs. I've written many times about this ill-advised (in my opinion) attempt by the city to keep illegal immigrants away by forcing landlords to become immigration cops. Here are excerpts from an article in today's Dallas Morning News:

The city's court loss in the lawsuit over Ordinance 2903 leaves it with a payment looming of about $900,000 to the plaintiffs' attorneys. That, along with escalating legal bills as the trial over the third incarnation of the housing ban approaches, and the cost of severance packages for nearly two dozen employees laid off last summer, forced the city to dig into its reserve fund for about $2 million.

The financial news has some opponents of the illegal-immigration-related ordinances saying, "I told you so."

Opponents have long said the ordinances were unconstitutional and would cost millions to defend in court.

From 2006 through the end of 2008, the city spent more than $1.5 million on illegal-immigration-related legal fees. That doesn't count the $900,000 lawsuit award that hasn't been paid because the city is contesting the amount.

Full post as published by Immigration Law Answers Blog on January 24, 2009 (boomark / email).