The Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch made national news today with its passage of two anti-immigrant city ordinances. The first declares English the official language; the second fines apartment complex owners for renting units to illegal immigrants, among other things.* Both passed the city council unanimously.
These two measures are incredibly stupid and raise a host of constitutional issues. I don't live close enough to shop in Farmers Branch, but even if I did I'm mindful that boycotts can backfire.
Sadly, the anti-immigrant fervor is not confined to the Dallas suburbs, as members of the 2007 Texas Legislature filed a host of bills targeting migrants. The legislature appears to be continuing its fine tradition of hate and unproductivity. 2003 was the (extended) session of hate the Democrats;** 2005 was the session of hate the gays.
*Not surprisingly, an ordinance fining business owners for hiring illegal immigrants wasn't voted on, presumably because while they don't want illegals living in their city or speaking anything but English, they still need them to clean their houses, wait their tables, and mow their lawns.
**Once again, I would like to point out that but for the 2003 re-redistricting, Texans would chair four House Committees [Rules - Frost; Agriculture - Stenholm; Homeland Security - Turner; Science - Hall (he wouldn't have switched)].
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How in the heck do you enforce English as an official language?
Here in Louisiana, the St. Bernard Parish Council got the idea a couple of months ago to pass an ordinance allowing homeowners to rent only to their own relatives. The council seemed to fear that absentee homeowners would rent to blacks and Hispanics, totally overlooking the fact that nobody who didn't already live in that devstated parish would want to move there now. Anyhow, the ordinance has been dropped.
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