Thread: Nevada town considering banning banking by illegal immigrant

Nevada town considering banning banking by illegal immigrants

9:39 a.m. October 11, 2006

PAHRUMP, Nev. – Nevada's banking community is worrying that a proposed local law in Nye County's largest community would make it illegal for illegal immigrants to open accounts or cash checks.

“How do I do business in Pahrump with an ordinance like this?” Bill Martin, president of Nevada State Bank, said of the proposed “English Language and Patriot Reaffirmation Ordinance.”

The law would prohibit accepting foreign identification, offering housing, or loaning or giving money to undocumented immigrants in this fast-growing town 60 miles west of Las Vegas. It would make English the official language and prohibit flying a foreign flag by itself.

Officials said the identification provision could stop the town's banks from accepting as identification a card that since 2002 has issued by the Mexican Consulate in Las Vegas.

The consulate has issued nearly 106,000 of the cards, which confirm the identity and current residence of the bearer. The cards are not an immigration document.

Wells Fargo Nevada regional chief Kirk Clausen said the identification provision posed a “huge concern” for banks. He said he planned to seek guidance from bankers associations.

Nevada State Bank has two branches in Pahrump, a town of 33,241 where the state demographer estimates the Hispanic population at about 11 percent. Martin questioned how a bank would enforce the ordinance.

“If they (customers) look Hispanic, do I ID them?” the Nevada State Bank official asked. “Can I profile? I don't think so.”

Town Board member Michael Miraglia drafted the ordinance, making Pahrump the first Nevada municipality to attempt legislating immigration-related issues. Public comment and a vote could come as early as Nov. 7.

Other cities and towns in the nation have taken similar steps. Miraglia said he based parts of his proposal on Iowa legislation that he read about on the Internet, as well as federal law.

The trend of local governments trying to deal with immigration, which traditionally has been governed by federal law, has banking officials considering how they can monitor legislation affecting their industry, said Bill Uffelman, president of the Nevada Bankers Association.

John Guedry, association chairman, said it was difficult enough for banks to require identification before opening accounts.

“The more difficult it becomes, the more of a concern it is,” he said. “If somebody pays a landscaper with a check, and it's a good check, and the landscaper comes in to cash the check, are we breaking the law if we cash the check?”



Information from: Las Vegas Sun, www.lasvegassun.com

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nati ... nking.html

“If they (customers) look Hispanic, do I ID them?” the Nevada State Bank official asked. “Can I profile? I don't think so.”

No you dummy, you require proof of citizenship for all new accounts. As for current customers, send them all a letter requesting they provide proof of citizenship within 30 days or their accounts will be closed out and their check can be picked up at the local branch or sent to them via registered mail, their choice. Why do those pro-illegal immigrant advocates talk to us like we're a bunch of idiots? We all know they can't racially profile, but they can require proof of citizenship for all customers.

Quote:
“If they (customers) look Hispanic, do I ID them?” the Nevada State Bank official asked. “Can I profile? I don't think so.”

I thought banks asked for the ID of any customer they don't recognize. If I visit my regular bank, but deal with a new CSR, I'm asked to show my ID. Banks should only do business with citizens and legal immigrants.

Banks typically don't cash checks, if your not a customer. All customers should be legal. Banks don't want the burden of checking IDs. These corps. want to do business with anyone, provided they can PROFIT.

Our govt. PERMITS banks to do business with illegals. Just another example of this admin's failure to enforce the law.

They shouldn't be living here so they shouldn't be banking here either.

Dixie

Originally Posted by Dixie

They shouldn't be living here so they shouldn't be banking here either.

Dixie

You got that right.

The IRS has created an official U.S. tax number that illegal aliens are using as identification, thereby making it easier for them to meld unnoticed into our society. The ITIN is used by advocates for illegal immigrants to "regularize" illegal aliens. I suspect these banks are hoping to legitimize this illegal process.

Many U.S. Banks are using ITINs for identification purposes to grant mortgages to illegal immigrants. I believe these banks are breaking the law. The U.S. government pretends to uphold the law while condoning the approval of mortgage lending to the illegal immigrants. This is no longer a matter of an employer avoiding the law or about helping those coming to the U.S. It is the acceptance of lawmakers and law enforcement to ignore the laws of the land, specifically for those who reside in the U.S. illegally.

The FDIC is now formally encouraging U.S. banks to grant mortgages to illegal aliens. National banks, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A. are leading the charge. Banks are accepting the Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service in lieu of a Social Security card for which those illegally in the U.S. do not qualify. It matters nothing to these banks that ITINs are not valid identification and should not be accepted for non-tax purposes.

But under U.S. Criminal Code 274, “It is a crime punishable by 10 years in jail for aiding and abetting someone in this country illegally for commercial gain.” And the Bank Secrecy Act of 1972 provides that “Banks must know their customers and any illegal activity must be reported to the government.”

Our govt. is ignoring the fact that financial institutions are making loans to illegal aliens.
The IRS forbids accepting ITINs as identification.

Under U.S. Criminal Code 274, “it’s a crime punishable with 10 years for aiding and abetting someone in this country illegally for commercial gain.

The Bank Secrecy / Anti-Money Laundering Act provides banks must know their customers and report any illegal activity to the govt.

In 2000, President Bush told us that, “America is a nation of laws”. Yet these laws are ignored by the federal govt. Our own govt. is enabling banks to institutionalize the illegality of illegal immigration. Banks know the govt. does a lousy job of enforcement.

Rather than support our nation’s laws, banks are more interested in making money. I believe they have sold out. Support of illegal immigrants is a threat to national security and public safety. Banks should insure people who apply for mortgages and conduct other business are here legally.

Banks using ITINs for mortgages:

Fifth Third Bank – Cincinnati, OH based
Mitchell Bank -- Milwaukee
Banco Popular -- Houston
Neighborhood Housing Services of America - Oakland
Self Help Credit Union – Durham, NC
Second Federal Savings – Chicago
First Bank of the Americas – Chicago
Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority

Illegal immigrants are working, illegally, on construction crews that are building houses to be sold illegally, to aliens who have obtained their mortgages illegally. If illegal immigrants can use ITINs to start their documentation record in the U.S., so can any terrorists.
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I sent this information in a letter, to the IRS and both of my Senators. Guess what ? No one bothered to reply. Our federal govt. simply refuses to enforce our laws.

Our govt. needs to change !

I sent this information in a letter, to the IRS and both of my Senators. Guess what ? No one bothered to reply.

Who are your Senators? Perhaps you may want to consider sending it to others in the U.S. Congress who are more pro-active on the illegal immigrant issue than yours are. Oftentimes, if you throw enough darts, you're eventually going to hit a bullseye. You may also want to consider forwarding the information to Lou Dobbs. Just a thought.

Originally Posted by MW

I sent this information in a letter, to the IRS and both of my Senators. Guess what ? No one bothered to reply.

Who are your Senators? Perhaps you may want to consider sending it to others in the U.S. Congress who are more pro-active on the illegal immigrant issue than yours are. Oftentimes, if you throw enough darts, you're eventually going to hit a bullseye. You may also want to consider forwarding the information to Lou Dobbs. Just a thought.

Typically, I contact my elected representatives. I imagine most elected reps merely listen to their voters, unless they want to run for President.
In this matter, I did contact other representatives on the banking committies of the House & Senate. No one replied.

Presently, I'm contacting my elected reps and other candidates for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and Gov. Since I live in near the state Capital, I also want to the office of these unresponsive elected officials.

I do get replies to most letters, from my Congressman - Pat Tiberi.

I also watch Lou Dobbs and periodically send him an email. When I get time I want to contact the elected reps in Nevada and offer my support.
Thanks for your advice.