Blacksheep23
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Has this ever happened in ur local government?
Since the federal gov isn't doing anything,the local take actions.what do y'all think abt it?
Cherokee approves ordinance
Landlords who rent to illegal immigrants to be targeted
By CHRIS QUINN, BRIAN FEAGANS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/05/06
Despite the threat of legal challenges, Cherokee County commissioners Tuesday night approved ordinances declaring English the county's official language, and going after landlords who rent to illegal immigrants.
The commissioners also approved a program that will allow the county to check on the legal status of anyone applying for public benefits.
The measures are among the most sweeping actions a local government has taken against illegal immigrants in Georgia, and were approved by 5-0 votes.
Cherokee commissioners have maintained that illegal immigrants drain local resources. And because the federal government hasn't tackled the issue, commissioners said it was up to them to send a message to those living in the county illegally.
A public hearing last month on the ordinance drew a large crowd, and for Tuesday night's meeting there were as many people crowded into the county courthouse atrium as there were inside the meeting room, which holds more than 100.
Some bunched up against the double doors, pleading with sheriff's deputies who at times threatened to remove people who didn't stop shouting or back away from the doors.
The vast majority of those waiting outside were interested in rezoning matters, but a handful of people on both sides of the immigration debate were left standing outside, too.
They included Billy Inman of Woodstock, whose only son was killed 6 1/2 years ago by a drunken driver who was in the country illegally.
Inman cheered news of the vote.
"I lost my son to an illegal immigrant," Inman said. "I ain't no lawyer, but legal is legal and illegal is illegal. Somebody's got to do something. It's a problem in every city across this country."
But Estebaan Zuniga, a drywall worker from Woodstock who said he has a green card, said he didn't think illegal immigrants were going to leave in droves as proponents hoped.
While illegal immigrants are concerned about the new laws, he said, many probably realize that the ordinances are being challenged in court.
And if they do leave, he said, it's Cherokee County that will suffer.
"This will hurt the economy," he said. "Why don't they do something to help the economy?"
Lawsuits promised
The ordinance targeting tenants covers landlords who rent property in unincorporated parts of Cherokee. It does not apply to cities, such as Canton and Woodstock, which have the majority of rental properties in the county, nor does it apply to existing leases.
The ordinance is the first of its kind in Georgia, and it's nearly identical to one that passed recently in Escondido, Calif.
After opponents filed a suit against Escondido, a judge issued a restraining order against the city, preventing it from enforcing its ordinance until a court hearing. The same thing happened in Hazleton, Pa., which approved a similar ordinance.
A lawsuit is likely to come in Cherokee, warned Jamie B. Hernan, an attorney with offices in metro Atlanta and Tampico, Mexico.
The county "will incur legal fees, and they will pay legal fees incurred by tenants," said Hernan, who is working with the American Civil Liberties Union. "County government cannot pass immigration law."
Hernan was also angry that he and Jerry Gonzalez, the executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, were not allowed to address the commissioners before their vote Tuesday.
Mark Byrd, the chairman of the Board of Commissioners, said the county did not need to hear from the audience because it had already held a public hearing on the matter.
And there was no time for such comments anyway, said Commissioner Karen Mahurin, who had proposed the ordinance.
"We have a pretty busy schedule tonight," she said. "I think we understand the issue."
English made official
The ordinance targeting rental properties requires landlords to collect documentation from their tenants. If someone in the county files a complaint about a property, landlords will have to turn over the information to the county marshal or the county's business license department.
The county will then check the information against federal records. Landlords in violation could have their business licenses suspended and be forbidden from collecting rent.
The ordinance declaring English the county's official language is largely symbolic, containing several exemptions for courts, school and emergency services.
Across the United States, at least 20 towns, cities and counties have approved or discussed English-language ordinances in the past few months, said Rob Toonkel of U.S. English, a group that advocates making English the official language of the federal government.
Advocates say the measures are intended to encourage immigrants to assimilate, preserve English as a national unifying language, and minimize government expenses of printing information and providing services in other tongues.
Even though commissioners were warned the county would probably be sued, Commissioner Harry Johnston thinks residents are prepared to pay the legal costs.
"Local government, I think, does have to step up and fill the void left by the complete failure of the federal government," Johnston said before voting for the ordinance.
Some residents, though, were not so sure. "I understand the problem," said Lee Fowler, who lives in Canton. "But I don't think this is the way to do it."
David Wiliams had a different opinion.
"I think it's a great thing," he said, "I am all for that. They are illegal immigrants and have they no rights, as far as I am concerned, in the United States of America."
Staff writers Aixa Pascual and Eunice Moscoso contributed to this article.
Since the federal gov isn't doing anything,the local take actions.what do y'all think abt it?
Cherokee approves ordinance
Landlords who rent to illegal immigrants to be targeted
By CHRIS QUINN, BRIAN FEAGANS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/05/06
Despite the threat of legal challenges, Cherokee County commissioners Tuesday night approved ordinances declaring English the county's official language, and going after landlords who rent to illegal immigrants.
The commissioners also approved a program that will allow the county to check on the legal status of anyone applying for public benefits.
The measures are among the most sweeping actions a local government has taken against illegal immigrants in Georgia, and were approved by 5-0 votes.
Cherokee commissioners have maintained that illegal immigrants drain local resources. And because the federal government hasn't tackled the issue, commissioners said it was up to them to send a message to those living in the county illegally.
A public hearing last month on the ordinance drew a large crowd, and for Tuesday night's meeting there were as many people crowded into the county courthouse atrium as there were inside the meeting room, which holds more than 100.
Some bunched up against the double doors, pleading with sheriff's deputies who at times threatened to remove people who didn't stop shouting or back away from the doors.
The vast majority of those waiting outside were interested in rezoning matters, but a handful of people on both sides of the immigration debate were left standing outside, too.
They included Billy Inman of Woodstock, whose only son was killed 6 1/2 years ago by a drunken driver who was in the country illegally.
Inman cheered news of the vote.
"I lost my son to an illegal immigrant," Inman said. "I ain't no lawyer, but legal is legal and illegal is illegal. Somebody's got to do something. It's a problem in every city across this country."
But Estebaan Zuniga, a drywall worker from Woodstock who said he has a green card, said he didn't think illegal immigrants were going to leave in droves as proponents hoped.
While illegal immigrants are concerned about the new laws, he said, many probably realize that the ordinances are being challenged in court.
And if they do leave, he said, it's Cherokee County that will suffer.
"This will hurt the economy," he said. "Why don't they do something to help the economy?"
Lawsuits promised
The ordinance targeting tenants covers landlords who rent property in unincorporated parts of Cherokee. It does not apply to cities, such as Canton and Woodstock, which have the majority of rental properties in the county, nor does it apply to existing leases.
The ordinance is the first of its kind in Georgia, and it's nearly identical to one that passed recently in Escondido, Calif.
After opponents filed a suit against Escondido, a judge issued a restraining order against the city, preventing it from enforcing its ordinance until a court hearing. The same thing happened in Hazleton, Pa., which approved a similar ordinance.
A lawsuit is likely to come in Cherokee, warned Jamie B. Hernan, an attorney with offices in metro Atlanta and Tampico, Mexico.
The county "will incur legal fees, and they will pay legal fees incurred by tenants," said Hernan, who is working with the American Civil Liberties Union. "County government cannot pass immigration law."
Hernan was also angry that he and Jerry Gonzalez, the executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, were not allowed to address the commissioners before their vote Tuesday.
Mark Byrd, the chairman of the Board of Commissioners, said the county did not need to hear from the audience because it had already held a public hearing on the matter.
And there was no time for such comments anyway, said Commissioner Karen Mahurin, who had proposed the ordinance.
"We have a pretty busy schedule tonight," she said. "I think we understand the issue."
English made official
The ordinance targeting rental properties requires landlords to collect documentation from their tenants. If someone in the county files a complaint about a property, landlords will have to turn over the information to the county marshal or the county's business license department.
The county will then check the information against federal records. Landlords in violation could have their business licenses suspended and be forbidden from collecting rent.
The ordinance declaring English the county's official language is largely symbolic, containing several exemptions for courts, school and emergency services.
Across the United States, at least 20 towns, cities and counties have approved or discussed English-language ordinances in the past few months, said Rob Toonkel of U.S. English, a group that advocates making English the official language of the federal government.
Advocates say the measures are intended to encourage immigrants to assimilate, preserve English as a national unifying language, and minimize government expenses of printing information and providing services in other tongues.
Even though commissioners were warned the county would probably be sued, Commissioner Harry Johnston thinks residents are prepared to pay the legal costs.
"Local government, I think, does have to step up and fill the void left by the complete failure of the federal government," Johnston said before voting for the ordinance.
Some residents, though, were not so sure. "I understand the problem," said Lee Fowler, who lives in Canton. "But I don't think this is the way to do it."
David Wiliams had a different opinion.
"I think it's a great thing," he said, "I am all for that. They are illegal immigrants and have they no rights, as far as I am concerned, in the United States of America."
Staff writers Aixa Pascual and Eunice Moscoso contributed to this article.