Thread: Judicial Watch Educates N. CA City on Illegal Day Labor Site

Judicial Watch Educates N. CA City on Illegal Day Labor Site
Posted by P. Smith on May 8, 2009 at 12:40pm


Judicial Watch Educates Northern California City on Illegal Day Labor Site

Count Mountain View, California among the cities that have come under Judicial Watch scrutiny for its support of an illegal alien day labor site. We've been keeping our eye on Mountain View for some time now. This week, we took action again as city officials prepare to vote on a permit application for the Mountain View Day Worker Center that would move the center to a permanent location. (The permit application is currently suspended due to public opposition to the day labor site.)

Last month, in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Mountain View Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga said immigration is really a "federal issue." When asked about Judicial Watch's opposition to the taxpayer-funded day worker center, the mayor said she doesn't know what Judicial Watch wants.

We took the comment as an invitation and sent a letter on May 5 thoroughly explaining our position. Here's an excerpt:

A hiring center for day laborers, who are comprised primarily of illegal aliens, facilitates unlawful employment by matching day laborers with the scofflaw employers seeking to hire them. Actions by the City in support of the Day Worker Center "undermine" the purposes of federal immigration law as they encourage the type of employment that federal law seeks to eliminate. Hence, employment of illegal aliens is not merely a "federal issue," as actions by a municipality which simply run contrary to the purposes of federal law are prohibited.

This is not the first time Judicial Watch has tried to eductate officials in Mountain View about the law. In April 2008, Judicial Watch wrote to then-Mayor Tom Means expressing our concerns. However, since that time the city has actually increased its financial support of the illegal alien labor site (using taxpayer dollars, of course) and has provided other forms of support as well, including leasing city property to the center for parking.

Next week, on May 12, city officials will decide whether or not to extend a conditional use permit to the day worker center, thereby allowing it to continue to operate. Our Director of Research and Investigations, Chris Farrell, has already testified last month during a Mountain View City Council meeting in an effort to explain that the city's support of the site is in directy violation of federal law.

Let's hope our activism pushes city officials to reconsider their support of the illegal day labor site.

Tom Fitton


http://caforchuck.ning.com/group/immigr ... cates-n-ca

Day Labor sites would be a good place to start the "New" IA focus aimed at employers touted to be the answer to Illegal Immigration problem by Janet Napolitano.