Thread: Mt. Rainier courts illegal aliens

Mt. Rainier courts illegal aliens

Jan 19, 2008 3:00 AM (17 hrs ago) by Freeman Klopott, The Examiner
Washington DC (Map, News) - Mount Rainier is home to thousands of immigrants, and if city council members get their way, the Prince George's County community will be putting out a welcome mat for more to come.

Councilman Pedro Briones has proposed an ordinance that would prohibit city employees from asking residents about their immigration status, thwarting federal immigration laws and turning the city of 10,000 into a sanctuary similar to Takoma Park.

Mount Rainier's police department already has a policy not to question immigration status.

Briones couldn't be reached for comment, but Councilman Jimmy Tarlau said the proposed ordinance is a backlash against the hostility toward Latinos in places like Prince William County where officials are cracking down on the immigrant population.

"We want them to follow the rules and laws of our town, and we want to make sure they know [their status] is not a concern for our municipality."

Immigration has been a divisive issue nationally, and increasingly so in Maryland.

In October, Takoma Park upheld a 1985 immigrant sanctuary law and the Taneytown City Council recently said the city's existing immigration enforcement didn't warrant an ordinance declaring Taneytown "not a sanctuary city."

Groups like Help Save Maryland have fought against any suggestion of lackadaisical immigration enforcement. And they plan to do that again in Mount Rainier, the group's director, Brad Botwin said.

"We think this is going against the tide of public opinion in Maryland," Botwin said. "You have a reckless councilman, Briones, wanting to make a sanctuary where literally criminal illegal immigrants can walk the city streets."

Briones suggested making Mount Rainier a sanctuary for illegal immigrants during a council work session in December, and council members decided to let the public weigh in before they voted.

"While I support the ordinance," Tarlau said, "if people in the community don't support it, I will listen."

Prince George's County Help Save Maryland organizers are hoping the community will protest, and they might apply pressure by boycotting Mount Rainier businesses.

http://www.examiner.com/a-1167914~Mt__R ... liens.html

Councilman Pedro Briones has proposed an ordinance that would prohibit city employees from asking residents about their immigration status, thwarting federal immigration laws and turning the city of 10,000 into a sanctuary similar to Takoma Park.

thwarting federal immigration laws = treason and promoting overthrow of the government (rule of law) by civil disobedience.

Why aren't people like this charged and prosecuted?

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power."
Franklin D. Roosevelt