Thread: Town's Mayor Tackles Illegal Immigration

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14487620/

Town’s mayor tackles illegal immigration
But some legal residents aren’t happy with the onus it puts on them
NBC VIDEO


• Town tries to stave off illegal immigrants
Aug. 23: The town of Valley Park, Mo., doesn't have very many illegal immigrants, and they don't want them, either. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports on the mayor's preemptive effort to keep illegal immigrants away.



VALLEY PARK, Mo. - The sounds of daily life in Valley Park are varied — trains, front-end loaders — unless you're in the modest apartment of a young family that left suddenly last week. There, silence permeates the space.

"They told me they had to go," says apartment complex manager Terry Cooper. "Little Emme said, ‘Terry, please let me stay in your casa with you.’ That broke my heart right there."

The family, illegal immigrants, spent four years in this town of 6,500 near St. Louis, making a home and making friends.

Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"They're like my family," Cooper says. "They all were."

But the mayor saw a potential problem.


Despite no great influx of illegal immigrants and what the mayor himself admits has been little trouble, he decided his town would tackle an issue he says the federal government has fumbled.

"We're concerned that Valley Park could wind up as a haven for illegal immigrants," Valley Park Mayor Jeffery Whitteaker says. "We're out to stop that from happening."

While the targets here in Valley Park are illegal immigrants, the city is going after businesses hiring them and the landlords who house them. Valley Park, Mo.
Population: 6,518

— White: 89.0 percent
— Asian: 4.3 percent
— Black: 4.1 percent
— Hispanic: 2.3 percent*
— Foreign-born: 407 (total)
* Hispanics may be of any race
Source: 2000 Census



Businesses stand to lose their licenses. And property owners like Stephanie Reynolds face $500 fines unless she evicts a family that in a decade has never been late with the rent.

"I can't see that that taking these people and moving them out of Valley Park is going to do any justice," says Reynolds.

Residents like a woman who slipped into this country illegally from Mexico eight years ago.

"I love here, I love United States, I want to stay here," she says.

Those charged with enforcing the rules — landlords and employers — don't want the job.

"Mr. President, Congress, Senate, get busy and help us solve this problem," landlord Ed Sidwell says.

A small town struggling to define boundaries, far from any border.

"They're like my family," Cooper says. "They all were."

There should be no problem giving your family Free housing Terry. You just can't profit from illegals. The ordinance will allow them to live with you.

Those charged with enforcing the rules — landlords and employers — don't want the job.

Oh, it's OK to evict Americans when they don't pay the rent and fire Americans when they have a job the illeglas will do for cheaper.

Dixie

That woman who loves the USA at the end of the article can voluntarily return to her home country, wait the 10 years because of the penalty for being here illegally, and apply at the back of the line in 2016 or 2017. If she truly loves the country, she'll follow the laws and comply.

Ostrich

added to the homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1457

"Mr. President, Congress, Senate, get busy and help us solve this problem," landlord Ed Sidwell says.

That job starts with YOU buddy!

The Landlord " well she's never been late on rent",like that matters! Her kind of Americans is the large problem,if they can make buck they will!
They are Traitors & Bums.!!!!

Originally Posted by Critter1

The Landlord " well she's never been late on rent",like that matters! Her kind of Americans is the large problem,if they can make buck they will!
They are Traitors & Bums.!!!!

So I guess if I was a criminal but paid my rent on time, I too could get housing