Thread: Illegal Hispanics urged to move into city

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/15432769.htm

Posted on Sun, Sep. 03, 2006

Hispanics urged to move into city

By ANNA M. TINSLEY
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

They've set their sights on 157 homes.

That's how many houses are for sale in Farmers Branch and how many homes Hispanic leaders hope to sell to fellow Hispanics and/or illegal immigrants.

Hispanic leaders are staking out the Dallas suburb in the wake of a city councilman's controversial proposal to crack down on illegal immigrants, hoping to establish a permanent presence by boosting the Hispanic population.

They call it Compre Farmers Branch (Buy Farmers Branch), an effort linking real-estate agents, lending institutions and other groups with the League of United Latin American Citizens.

"We're trying to convince [Hispanics] this is where they should be moving," said Carlos Quintanilla, a LULAC member. "We're encouraging people who don't have documents to buy these homes if they have the financial resources and access to mortgage companies.

"Our goal is to have a permanent presence in Farmers Branch."

The community of about 24,000 is the latest battleground for the national debate over immigration since Councilman Tim O'Hare suggested proposals ranging from fining landlords who rent to illegal immigrants to eliminating subsidies for illegal immigrants' children who participate in city-funded youth programs.

The latest effort comes days after Hispanic leaders held a rally at City Hall, protesting O'Hare's proposal and calling for his resignation.

One real-estate agent already has four homes that are expected to be sold to Hispanics in coming days, Quintanilla said.

O'Hare, who said he does not plan to resign, said the effort may help him sell his home, which has been on and off the market for months, while he looks for a bigger Farmers Branch home with a creek or golf course view.

So far, though, his house hasn't been shown since the effort kicked off, he said. "I welcome anyone of any nationality to come buy it," O'Hare said.

As for the overall effort, he said he supports it if it's legal.

"Currently, there are no laws prohibiting illegal aliens from buying property," O'Hare said. "I'm not their attorney, and I don't need to advise them on what to do.

"But it seems like it could be a violation of the Fair Housing Act, trying to sell to people of only one ethnicity or origin."

Quintanilla said the 157 homes on the market have a total value of $22 million and range in price from $64,000 to $1.2 million. O'Hare's house is appraised at $345,360, according to Dallas County records.

Some help for buyers is coming in the form of one-time gifts of $3,000 to $5,000 to help with closing costs, said Michael Gonzales, national president of the nonprofit Mi Casa program in Dallas.

The gift, he said, extends to illegal immigrants.

"We do this for all," Gonzales said. "It doesn't matter to us. We're not the INS [Immigration and Naturalization Service].

"The Hispanic community leadership has asked us to get involved."

Labor Day rallies focusing on immigration are scheduled around the country, including Dallas.

U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, said she can understand why people are taking on the issue in their own communities.

"It's more the manifestation of frustration," she said. "We passed a bill a long time ago in the House ... but the bill in the Senate is so different.

"Let's get something done," she said. "Let's take what we do agree with -- border security -- and let's pass what we agree on and make sure funding is there. People are very frustrated."

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., have offered a compromise -- requiring certification of border security before any proposed temporary-worker program can go into effect.

"Sen. Hutchison shares the frustration of local communities who feel that the federal government has failed in its responsibility to secure our border," according to a written statement from her office. "Sen. Hutchison continues to encourage her colleagues in Congress to pass legislation that secures our borders and provides comprehensive immigration reform."

In the meantime, immigration debates continue to surface and might arise at Farmers Branch City Council meetings.

"The issue of immigration should be referred to the federal government," Quintanilla said. "We believe Tim O'Hare is overreaching his position and the city's charter."

But no matter what, Quintanilla said he and others will do their part to make Farmers Branch the best place for everyone to live.

"We're taking a negative and we're going to make it positive," he said. "We're going to contribute to the growth of Farmers Branch and make sure children have a future in Farmers Branch and won't face restrictions."


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Anna M. Tinsley, 817-390-7610 atinsley@star-telegram.com

Okay, I think that the Farmer's Branch officials (whoever they are) should take a little trip to a little suburb of San Diego called Spring Valley. AT LEAST 157 homes in this city are inhabited by illegal immigrants, so it would be a good "picture" of what Farmer's Branch will look like in a couple of years.

I guess Dallas will be the next California! thank God, there is no work for them here where I live, none of us can afford gardners, babysitters, or even carpenters we do all of it ourselves!

I am trying to fight that down here in Dallas. I work in Farmers Branch and if they start getting illegals to move there We may end up relocating.