Thread: TX: Carrollton shelves illegal immigration task force

Carrollton shelves illegal immigration task force

10:17 PM CDT on Sunday, October 12, 2008
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News


The Carrollton City Council has derailed new Mayor Ron Branson's plan for a citizens task force to recommend ways to crack down on illegal immigrants in the city.

Mr. Branson said creating the committee would be one of his first actions after he was elected in May.

But the council couldn't agree on how many members the panel should have, how they should be chosen, and exactly what their mission would be.

A council subcommittee made recommendations on those issues, but the council decided to scrap the citizens committee and instead let the four subcommittee members study illegal immigration.

Mr. Branson largely attributes the demise of the citizens task force approach to council member Herb Weidinger, who withdrew his support. "He managed to pretty much derail it against the wishes of the citizens," Mr. Branson said.

Mr. Weidinger declined to comment.

Mr. Branson has said illegal immigrants threaten public safety in Carrollton, where he says some moved after neighboring Farmers Branch began trying to keep them from renting housing.

During his mayoral campaign, Mr. Branson said, he heard repeatedly from residents frustrated about illegal immigrants and the burden some say they place on schools and local services.

Voters wanted action, he said, "and they liked this [task force] approach because it's doing something better than nothing."

But council member Tim Hayden said the task force could have been futile.

"Why put people together for six months to meet every month to come up with things we may not be able to do legally, ever?" he said, alluding to court challenges that have kept Farmers Branch from enforcing ordinances aimed at barring renting to illegal immigrants.

"Watching the Farmers Branch case and what is constitutional or unconstitutional sort of sets the stage for what can and can't be done," Mr. Hayden said. "I didn't see a point in putting citizens through what may be just an exercise in the end."

Farmers Branch planned to implement the latest version of its rental ordinance in September. But a federal judge blocked enforcement and indicated that she considers the measure – like a predecessor struck down earlier this year – unconstitutional.

Mr. Branson said having Carrollton residents study illegal immigration and make recommendations would avoid the costly and divisive approach taken by Farmers Branch. He said council members who oppose the idea are going against the wishes of their constituents.

"They didn't have to listen to what the citizens had to say because they don't have to run again," he said.

Mr. Hayden, Mr. Weidinger and council member Larry Williams will leave the council in May because of term limits.

It's unclear how big a priority combating illegal immigration is for Carrollton residents. Farmers Branch voters in 2007 overwhelmingly approved a ban on apartment rentals to illegal immigrants, but no such measure has gone before Carrollton voters.

Mr. Branson made fighting illegal immigration an issue in his campaign, but its role in the outcome is unclear. He was losing to incumbent Becky Miller in early voting, and his victory on election day came after a story in The Dallas Morning News raised questions about statements Ms. Miller had made about her past.

Mr. Branson said he heard from voters of many backgrounds that illegal immigration is a concern. And council member Matthew Marchant agreed that "it's obviously an issue people are concerned about."

But Mr. Marchant said the time wasn't ripe for a citizens task force.

"The feeling of the majority of the council was the issue would be best handled as a council subcommittee," he said.

Once the scope of the problem is outlined and steps recommended, then perhaps a group of citizens could get involved, he said.

For now, the subcommittee – Mr. Branson, Mr. Weidinger, Mr. Williams and Terry Simons – is planning a symposium with a law professor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement representatives and others near the end of the year. Mr. Branson said officials from other cities will be invited.

www.dallasnews.com

But the council couldn't agree on how many members the panel should have, how they should be chosen, and exactly what their mission would be.

Sounds like they need to flush the turds in that city council out...