Thread: TX: Events set to aid immigrants in Farmers Branch

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/spec...s/16775339.htm

Posted on Sat, Feb. 24, 2007

Events set to aid immigrants in Farmers Branch

By PATRICK McGEE
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

Groups opposed to Farmers Branch's stance against illegal immigration will hold two events in the city today: one with a long-term goal of helping immigrants become citizens, the other with the immediate goal of registering people to vote.

People authorized to register voters will go door to door at Farmers Branch apartment complexes looking for eligible voters, said Gerald Henigsman, executive vice president of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas. He said the city's proposed ban on renting apartments to illegal immigrants will require tenants to prove they're legal immigrants or citizens.

Meanwhile, about 150 volunteers will help legal residents from throughout the region complete citizenship applications. The Los Angeles-based National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials holds such workshops across the country.

"We thought it was symbolically important [to have it in Farmers Branch] in light of the fact that immigration has been such an issue in that community," said state Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, whose district includes part of Farmers Branch. Anchia is also the national chairman of the Latino officials association.

The groups have been energized by the City Council's unanimous approval last month of an ordinance that bans the renting of apartments to illegal immigrants, pending voter approval in May.

The council has also proclaimed English the city's official language and ordered that the Police Department train an officer to work with federal officials to help identify and detain illegal immigrants.

Tom Bohmier, a volunteer coordinator for supportfarmersbranch.com, has been suspicious of groups opposing the city's stand against illegal immigration. He said he might send friends fluent in Spanish to today's citizenship workshop to "make sure that they are actually doing what they say they're doing, so that they don't have a loophole to help illegals get documented."

The citizenship workshop will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brookhaven College.

The apartment association's voter-education campaign will start at 10 a.m. at the Lakeview at Parkside Apartments, 3950 Spring Valley Road.

Henigsman said his association is working with the complex's management and will leave pamphlets on doorknobs if people aren't home.

Henigsman said the association opposes a rental ban partly because the group doesn't want to see it spread to other cities.

"I think people might see this as an easy fix," he said. "We don't see this as a fix at all. We don't think this will solve anything except for putting a burden on the apartment owner and the apartment resident."

Citizenship workshop

Legal residents eligible for citizenship can attend a free workshop to get help with their paperwork from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Brookhaven College, 3939 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch. They should bring:

Social Security card, along with legal permanent resident card, Texas driver's license or Texas ID

Dates and addresses for their last five years of employment

Dates of foreign travel since becoming a legal permanent resident

Spouse information: Address, Social Security number, birth date, marriage date, legal permanent resident number or date and place of naturalization (if applicable)

Children's information: Birth dates, legal permanent resident numbers (if applicable) and addresses

$400 for a money order

SOURCE: National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials

Notice how it is a bunch of outsiders interfearing in what is going on in Farmers Branch? Bussing them In! Now they are importing the OBL from CA to Farmers Branch! Dallas has been all over them for months.

The OBL is really afraid of the lawful outcome in Farmers Branch.
They know the voters will decide to uphold the new ordinances. I hope they get busted with any dirty tricks they attempt pull. That is the only way they can possibly defeat the citizens of FB.

Dixie

Perfect timing (or God's wrath): We are having winds between 30-50 mph today. My garbage can has blown over several times. I hope the illegal activists are enjoying the weather!

Any chance that wind will be strong enough to blow them across the Rio Grande?

QUESTION.......how are these people going to be able to differentiate between legitimate DOCS and fake DOCS?

Hmmmm?