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Council OKs immigration resolution
Palmdale move symbolic
BY JIM SKEEN, Staff Writer
LA Daily News
Article Last Updated:02/08/2007 07:07:35 PM PST

PALMDALE - In a symbolic move, the Palmdale City Council passed a resolution calling on the federal government to enforce laws against illegal immigration and to reimburse local governments for expenses for providing services to undocumented immigrants.

Palmdale officials are calling for the federal government to enforce existing laws and to reimburse state and local governments for such expenses as education, incarceration, medical treatment and "any care or services provided to or for illegal aliens and their dependents."

The City Council approved the resolution Wednesday, just days before city officials will be making a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C.

Councilman Tom Lackey, who will be making the trip next week with Mayor Jim Ledford and City Manager Steve Williams, said the resolution is an effort to draw federal officials' attention to the demands of the community to address the illegal immigration issue.

"We have to have a unified voice and a loud voice," Lackey said. "Let's address this important issue. Let's secure our borders."

Although the city is studying the impact of illegal immigration in preparation for future actions, this particular resolution is more symbolic than substantive, Ledford said.

"This is more of an expression of a position," Ledford said. "It doesn't do anything other than say this is what we believe."

Palmdale officials said they are in the early stages of determining what options they might have to address the issue. They want to come up with something unique to the city's issues that will stand up to legal challenges.

There are about 50 ordinances either enacted or being considered by cities and counties across the country trying to address illegal immigration. Some of the ordinances involve prohibitions against hiring undocumented immigrants or renting them housing, and others are aimed at regulating day laborers.

Many of those ordinances are being challenged in court. Arguments include the fact that much of the activities in regards to the issue are covered by federal law; that such ordinances can be divisive to a community; and that there will be an increase in costs for enforcement, city officials said.

Palmdale does have an ordinance on its books regulating day-laborer activity, but it hasn't enforced it because of litigation involving similar ordinances in the cities of Glendale, Vista and Redondo Beach.