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Last modified Saturday, August 12, 2006 11:29 PM PDT

Proposed ban on renting to illegal immigrants to draw activists pro and con

By: DAVID FRIED - Staff Writer

ESCONDIDO ---- Councilwoman Marie Waldron has said that she wants to combat overcrowding in city housing by adopting an ordinance that would prohibit illegal immigrants from renting property in Escondido.

Her proposal, which the City Council is scheduled to discuss at its Wednesday meeting and would be the first such ordinance of its kind in California, promises to draw supporters and critics of Waldron's idea from around the region.

Groups on both sides of the issue said Friday that they intend to crowd council chambers to weigh in on the proposed ban before the council vote that is required before Escondido's manager and attorney can begin drafting any legislation.

Mike Spencer, founder of Vista Citizens Brigade, whose group has vigorously demonstrated in support of that city's recently passed ordinance requiring employers to register before hiring day laborers, said Escondido is at the forefront of discussions on local ordinances dealing with illegal immigration.

"Interest will be very high because, obviously, no one wants to be the first one in the water," Spencer said. "Everyone on all sides of this issue is probably interested to see how this plays out in Escondido."

Other anti-illegal immigration groups, including the San Diego Minutemen, said they also plan to attend the meeting.

Local Latino activists, however, said they plan to try and discourage the council from giving city officials the go-ahead to draft a policy, which would then have to come back for further council approval.

Escondido activist Daniel Perez said he and other local Latino leaders will petition the council to reject Waldron's proposal, which he called politically motivated. Waldron is facing re-election in November.

"We don't have to do anything but bring reason and logic to the City Council," said Perez. "It's about unifying (city residents) to build a better community."

Waldron said the proposed ban has nothing to do with politics, but instead is about taking a tough line on illegal immigration, which she called a federal problem with very local effects.

"It's unfortunate we have to deal with it at all," Waldron said. "But it's because the federal government is not doing its job."

Listed as a discussion on ways to combat residential overcrowding, Waldron's proposal includes studying restrictions for on-street parking, but hinges on establishing prohibitions for renting to illegal immigrants.

The proposal is modeled after similar efforts in Hazleton, Pa., which in June adopted what it called Illegal Immigration Relief Act for the town of 31,000.

Along with prohibiting illegal immigrants from renting property and denying business licenses to companies that hire undocumented workers, Hazleton's law has also set off an echo of similar proposals. Last month, Riverside Township, N.J., passed a similar ordinance. The borough of West Hazleton adopted a version of its neighbor's ordinance Thursday. And council members in other Pennsylvania communities have recently pitched similar ordinances.

Local immigration opponents say Waldron's proposal could generate equally strong momentum for such laws in Southern California.

"We could go to Temecula and other citizens in other cities could go to their councils and try to get similar legislation passed," said Arne Chandler, of the Temecula-based Citizen Activists for a Secure America, which has been circulating e-mail announcements of the Escondido meeting encouraging activists to attend.

Opponents, such as Consuelo Martinez of the Escondido Human Rights Committee, however, said that Waldron and other council members need to consider how much implementing such a measure might cost, and how it would affect families before voting to draft a resolution.

"Since the idea is there, there should also be (consideration of) the consequences behind those ideas," Martinez said.

The proposal has already drawn support from Councilmen Sam Abed and Ed Gallo, and the three votes would be enough to approve drafting a measure.

But Councilman Ron Newman, who has criticized Waldron for making a federal and state issue a council matter, said he believes a ban on renting to illegal immigrants would be "a step backward" for the image of Escondido.

"I know it's a popular issue in the community and in Southern California; people want to do something about it," Newman said. "But this is trying to take a real issue and throw a political response at it. It's not a solution."

Contact staff writer David Fried at (760) 740-5416 or dfried@nctimes.com.