Anti - ILLEGAL immigration
There is a distinction here that is being missed. Farmers Branch, a Dallas Suburb about five miles west of Lewis and I, has passed three city ordinances that limit illegal immigration, not legal immigration. Somewhere these two things have become synonomous, and as those of us in border states know, they are not the same thing.
Here are two headlines from the past few days:
Texas City OKs Anti-Immigration Measures ~ Washington Post via AP's Anabelle Garay. This story was syndicated in Forbes, Guardian Unlimited, Houston Chronicle, and others.
Texan town passes new laws to deter imigrants ~ The Independent UK by David Usborne.
These headlines are blatantly untrue. What was passed were three ordinances, as mentioned above. The first being that all city business will be conducted in English, the second that landlords can not rent properties to illegal immigrants, and that local police forces will work with federal investigators to help deter illegal immigrants.
Now these ordinances were voted on, and they passed. Why? Because the leadership and people of Farmers Branch see problems that they want to try and fix, and these are ordinances that they think will help some of their issues. And frankly, don't they just sound like common sense? I imagine people have the biggest problem with business being conducted in English. Not that I want to be like France or anything, but since we're mirroring our country after our foreign brethren now, what do you think would happen if I went to France and demanded that they publish documents and speak to me in English? I think they'd laugh at me. And then extradite me. Is it so bad that they have to pass a driver's test in English? Some say yes. I say, not really. If they are going to be successful here and raise children here, then English will become part of their life to.
Where illegal immigration is affecting people in this state (and everywhere), is health care and education. Farmers Branch school population is 76% Hispanic. There is no real report you can run to indicate how many of the population is an illegal immigrant, and there are more illegal immigrants in this country than just come from south of our border. But, an exercpt from Population Estimes from Homeland Security:
Texas is not the only state affected by illegal immigration. California has more illegal immigrants (2.8 million) living within it's borders than Texas (1.4 million). Which is why I find it odd that only one city in both these huge states is trying to do anything about it.
And please, like the people voted on November 7th, the people of Farmers Branch voted this week. This is what this city wants. Democracy works.
Here are two headlines from the past few days:
Texas City OKs Anti-Immigration Measures ~ Washington Post via AP's Anabelle Garay. This story was syndicated in Forbes, Guardian Unlimited, Houston Chronicle, and others.
Texan town passes new laws to deter imigrants ~ The Independent UK by David Usborne.
These headlines are blatantly untrue. What was passed were three ordinances, as mentioned above. The first being that all city business will be conducted in English, the second that landlords can not rent properties to illegal immigrants, and that local police forces will work with federal investigators to help deter illegal immigrants.
Now these ordinances were voted on, and they passed. Why? Because the leadership and people of Farmers Branch see problems that they want to try and fix, and these are ordinances that they think will help some of their issues. And frankly, don't they just sound like common sense? I imagine people have the biggest problem with business being conducted in English. Not that I want to be like France or anything, but since we're mirroring our country after our foreign brethren now, what do you think would happen if I went to France and demanded that they publish documents and speak to me in English? I think they'd laugh at me. And then extradite me. Is it so bad that they have to pass a driver's test in English? Some say yes. I say, not really. If they are going to be successful here and raise children here, then English will become part of their life to.
Where illegal immigration is affecting people in this state (and everywhere), is health care and education. Farmers Branch school population is 76% Hispanic. There is no real report you can run to indicate how many of the population is an illegal immigrant, and there are more illegal immigrants in this country than just come from south of our border. But, an exercpt from Population Estimes from Homeland Security:
Mexico was the leading source country for unauthorized immigration with nearly 6.0 million residents in the United States in 2005. El Salvador, Guatemala, India, and China were the next leading source countries, accounting for a combined total of nearly 1.4 million unauthorized immigrants. Among the 10 leading source countries, the annual average increase in the unauthorized populationfrom 2000 to 2005 was greatest among Mexican immigrants (260,000).
Texas is not the only state affected by illegal immigration. California has more illegal immigrants (2.8 million) living within it's borders than Texas (1.4 million). Which is why I find it odd that only one city in both these huge states is trying to do anything about it.
And please, like the people voted on November 7th, the people of Farmers Branch voted this week. This is what this city wants. Democracy works.
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