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A group of storm chasers based in Carpentersville, Weather Gods, Inc, shot video of the deadly tornado that hit Picher, OK over the weekend… [follow the link for the story and video from WLS-TV, Channel 7]
The continued efforts of Farmer’s Branch, TX to establish local ordinances against illegal immigrants has again been met with a lawsuit. Prior to this it was reported that the Dallas-suburb had spent nearly $800,000 fighting prior suits. Federal judges have blocked or struck down previous attempts.
Other efforts around the country have been met with similar decisions in the federal courts. One of the few exceptions is the recent decision in Valley Park, MO, allowing the city to suspend or revoke operating licenses for business found to “knowingly” employ illegal aliens. The Judge’s decision in that case declared that the city had jurisdiction over business licensing, even though the purpose — even spoken of almost exclusively in post-decision quotes in the media — was an illegal immigrant crackdown.
Courts have struck down local anti-immigrant ordinances across the country. Cases include Lozano v. City of Hazleton in Hazelton, Pennsylvania; Garrett v. City of Escondido in Escondido, California; and Villas at Parkside Partners v. City of Farmers Branch in Farmers Branch, Texas.
State laws recently enacted last year in Arizona and Oklahoma have caused illegal immigrants to move from those states, to those considered more “welcoming” like Texas. Additionally, it is reported there has been a significant, negative impact on the economy in Oklahoma City.
The effect of the new law can be seen in the many signs advertising rental property vacated by departing immigrants, said David Castillo, the executive director of the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
”There’s been a tremendous impact in Oklahoma City,” Castillo said. “We’ve had several companies close shop and leave the state. Banks have called us and say they’re closing 30 accounts per week.”
In the case of Oklahoma’s law, the US Chamber of Commerce, Oklahoma City Chamber and Tulsa Chamber have joined to file for an injunction against Oklahoma’s HB 1804.
Bringing this a bit closer to home, it seems like a very significantly positive thing that the “Illegal Immigrant Relief Act” was tabled at even the “discussion and direction” stage, here in the Village of Carpentersville. The town certainly doesn’t need to be worrying about yet another lawsuit, especially when it is currently facing one for $30 million and having some difficulty retaining and attracting business.
It is almost certain that recent news of meetings held by Trustees Sigwalt and Humpfer with an anti-illegal immigrant group will not help that situation. As such, it is my intent to tone down my reporting on this matter. However, it does seem to be in the best interest of the Village to consider pursuing action toward removing these trustees, in some attempt to help salvage chances in the lawsuit.
Our community cannot afford to be torn apart any longer by the rhetoric and insanity that is the illegal immigration debate.
On Thursday, November 1st, a new law approved in May went into effect in Oklahoma: Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007 [HB 1804 text, Microsoft Word Document] A lawsuit has been filed to overturn the law. A hearing on the case is scheduled to begin this week. An emergency injunction filed to prevent the law from being enforced was tossed out last week.
The news reports about the law are somewhat misleading, because they infer that it creates a primary enforcement directive. In other words, that illegal immigrants will be specifically targeted by the act, and police will be responding to reports of suspected illegal immigrant presence.
However, law enforcement is saying it won’t really change anything they are currently doing.
Are they planning to ignore the law? Not at all. But, they say, people don’t seem to understand what the new law means and what resources law enforcement agencies have available to them.
“We’re not rounding people up,” [Capt Dean] Grassino [of Enid, OK] said. “We’ll cooperate. If they do an immigration enforcement action, we’ll assist. But we’re not going to send officers out to businesses to check workers’ papers and stuff. That’s stuff we’re not going to do.”
And, this is where things appear to differ from what has been proposed in Carpentersville. (Although, there is a disparity in comparison, too, because States have greater jurisdiction in these matters than do municipalities.)
While there are items in the law that appear to be problematic, because they may violate due process rights afforded to all citizens and guests of the United States or do not provide adequate protections of those and related rights, a majority of the sections of the new law are directed at existing processes, and may well be upheld.
For example, providing clearer criteria for the issuance — and acceptance — of official identification for obtaining public benefits and services seems quite within the jurisdiction of the state, without interference in federal statues. Additionally, in cases of arrest for certain crimes (read: felonies or DUI), “reasonable” effort must be made to determine whether the suspect is a U.S. citizen or resident alien, using the “Status Verification System” (something which the State of Illinois banned the use of). Some of these seem to be be the kind of things that Sheriff Daniel Beck of Allen County, Ohio has employed in his efforts.
Still, some of the sections could end up being rejected, such as those that would penalize citizens, landlords and business owners who might transport, house or employ undocumented immigrants.
The outcome of this case will be another one that we should watch.
Yet, for all the things that appear to be beneficial in the protections of U.S. citizens and taxpayers, there are still fundamental flaws that must be addressed. Today on Tennessean.com, an “Our View” touches on several of the issues that must be considered by a “hodgepodge” approach to immigration reform and enforcement.
Thus, while no one may like the way Congress has handled immigration legislation so far, it is still the province of the U.S. House and Senate, and the reason for this is deceptively simple: questions involving individuals from outside the borders of the United States should be treated equally and even-handedly. This cannot be achieved by 50 or more separate authorities, but by one federal authority.
Smaller jurisdictions’ end runs around Congress only complicate the problem of illegal immigration for the future.
Perhaps, though, worthy efforts will be take up to the federal level and implemented uniformly. But, deportations will not matter one lick without adequate border security, and some of these efforts will have a further detrimental effect on an economy that seems to be headed toward depression.
Carpentersville Action Network 
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