Thread: Farmer Branch City Council approves immigration resolution

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5369584


City Council approves immigration resolution


FARMERS BRANCH, Texas The Farmers Branch City Council tonight unanimously passed a resolution strongly urging the federal government to enforce immigration laws.

Demonstrators on both sides of the issue protested before the meeting in the Dallas suburb.

The council did not pass an ordinance proposed by councilman Tim O'Hare that would make it tougher for illegal immigrants to live in the suburb.

O'Hare's proposal includes:

-- prohibiting landlords from leasing to illegal immigrants,

-- penalizing businesses that employ undocumented workers,

-- making English the city's official language

-- and eliminating subsidies for illegal immigrants in the city's youth programs.

Carlos Quintanilla, a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens in Dallas, says the passage of the resolution is a victory in the face of the tougher proposal.

http://www.dallasnews.com

Act on immigrant issue, FB tells U.S.

Council to wait on adopting controversial ordinances, for now


10:56 PM CDT on Tuesday, September 5, 2006

By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News

FARMERS BRANCH – City Council members on Tuesday night chose not to go forward with ordinances that would have restricted illegal immigrants from living and working in the city.

But they vowed to pursue such measures this fall if Congress doesn't come up with a plan to enforce existing laws and reach an agreement on immigration reform.

A standing-room-only crowd applauded and cheered when the council approved a resolution criticizing the federal government's failure to secure the borders and enforce immigration laws and promising to take action if Washington doesn't.

Mayor Bob Phelps said the resolution would be sent to President Bush, U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, and other members of Congress from Texas, along with hundreds of e-mails the council has received on the issue.

The resolution also will be sent to every city and school district in the state, encouraging their elected officials to do the same, Mr. Phelps said.

"The citizens of this state and nation and the citizens of the City of Farmers Branch are concerned, worried, upset, frustrated and downright mad that President Bush and the Executive Branch of the United States government has and is totally failing in the enforcement of the Immigration Act as it relates to the influx of illegal aliens," the resolution reads.

It goes on to say that if federal officials don't act, the city will "take whatever steps it legally can to respond to the legitimate concerns of our citizens."

The resolution quieted, at least temporarily, the contentious debate over suggestions by Farmers Branch City Council member Tim O'Hare two weeks ago to adopt local ordinances that would make it harder for illegal immigrants to live and work in the city.

Those suggestions, along with others from council member Ben Robinson, include fining landlords who rent to illegal immigrants, punishing businesses that hire them, cutting off funding for illegal immigrant children in some of the city's youth programs and making English the city's official language.

Both Mr. O'Hare's supporters and local Hispanic leaders who opposed the suggestions praised the council's decision.

"It's exactly what we were asking for," said Farmers Branch resident Luis de la Garza. "It's a federal issue."

Carlos Quintanilla, representative of the League of United Latin American Citizens, agreed.

"We want immigration reform," he said. "We want it immediately; we want it to be fair and equitable. ... It is a great victory for us."

But both men, who had said Mr. O'Hare's proposals were racist and unconstitutional, vowed that if the city tries to approve such ordinances later, they will be back to fight them.

Some of Mr. O'Hare's supporters also supported the resolution.

"It's a courageous move," said Irving resident Sue Richardson, who carried a sign saying, "Protect the Rule of Law and Support National Sovereignty."

"I think they drew the line in the sand, said if Congress doesn't do it, we will. That's fair," Ms. Richardson said.

But not all were happy with the decision.

"I think they're passing the buck," Farmers Branch resident Earl Conley said.

Shannon McGauley, president of the Texas Minutemen, said the resolution was intended only to "bide time" and warned that if council members don't adopt local ordinances, they could find themselves recalled.

Dozens of supporters and opponents congregated in the City Hall lobby Tuesday night after the fire chief declared the council chambers were at capacity, and police blocked the doors to prevent others from entering.

As the council met privately with the city attorney upstairs to discuss the legalities of the proposed city ordinances, supporters and opponents got into a nearly indecipherable shouting match, some standing just inches apart, yelling to make their points while others climbed onto furniture to make themselves seen and heard.

At one point the two groups broke into simultaneous chants of "We support Tim O'Hare" and "Tim O'Hare must resign."

E-mail ssandoval@dallasnews.com

As the council met privately with the city attorney upstairs to discuss the legalities of the proposed city ordinances, supporters and opponents got into a nearly indecipherable shouting match, some standing just inches apart, yelling to make their points while others climbed onto furniture to make themselves seen and heard.

At one point the two groups broke into simultaneous chants of "We support Tim O'Hare" and "Tim O'Hare must resign."

I didn't see any of this happening there. I left around 9pm.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/special ... 450503.htm

Wed, Sep. 06, 2006

City compromises in intense meeting
By PATRICK McGEE
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

STAR-TELEGRAM/STEWART F. HOUSE


Diana Dove Fain, 41, of Fort Worth holds a sign that reads,
"Stop the Invasion of Our Nation" as she stands with the
overflow crowd outside Farmers Branch City Hall.

FARMERS BRANCH -- Scores of anti-illegal immigration demonstrators and their opponents got into a screaming match Tuesday night, shortly before the City Council tried to please both sides with a resolution calling on the federal government to enforce immigration laws.

The Farmers Branch City Council did not discuss a proposal by Councilman Tim O'Hare that asked for city ordinances that would bar illegal immigrants from renting homes in the city and ban their children from city-sponsored youth programs.

The majority of those in the audience vigorously backed O'Hare, cheering him like a rock star as he entered the room and waving signs saying: "Thank you, Tim O'Hare."

More than a dozen opponents, some of them members of the League of United Latin American Citizens, were equally noisy, with banners calling for O'Hare's resignation.

"What you support is the killing of our children!" LULAC member Luis De La Garza yelled at O'Hare supporters in the lobby.

At least 15 police officers kept an eye on the debate and sometimes approached people and asked them to quiet down. Most did.

In the meeting, Mayor Bob Phelps read a three-page resolution calling on the government to enforce immigration laws.

"Our local citizens are worried and concerned about the impact of illegal aliens on our national security, crime rates, illicit drug trade, the negative impact on property values ... and other potential major problems," the resolution says.

The meeting room was packed with mostly anti-illegal immigration demonstrators, who broke into cheers and applause.

But LULAC member Carlos Quintanilla said the resolution represents a victory for his side.

"Tim O'Hare's proposals were not considered, not discussed. It is a great victory for us," he said. "We agree with the resolution."

During a break in the meeting, Phelps said there are no plans to discuss O'Hare's proposals.

"We're going to give this an opportunity to work," he said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick McGee, 817-685-3806 pmcgee@star-telegram.com