Renters required to prove they are legal,read the details,before you answer?

Question

The mayor of Hazleton,PA says illegel immigration is destroying small towns,that dont have the buget to deal with the influx.The city concel passed a law that landlords renting to illegels would face fines.He now wants renters to have to go to city hall to obtain a renters permit.The permit requires a background check with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Opponents are ready to fight this law.The Puerto Rican Legal Defence and Education Fund and the PA chapter of the ACLU say they are preparing a lawsuit.
Four states have passed similar state laws laws:Georgia,Louisanna.Colorado and Pennsylvania.So it is possible to draft local city ordinances that deal with immigration that will stand up to judicial scrutiny.
My question,what are your thoughts on laws such as this.Are they good for protecting the landlords from facing fines,are they an invasion of personal rights, are they a way of controling the illigel immigration problem?

Answer 1

I agree with Jacob. If you are illegal then you shuld not be entitled to services that are available to the citizens of this country. I don't consider it an invasion of personal rights to be subjected to the mechanisms that protect our citizens and the way of life that they are entitled to. If the landlord has a tool that he/she can utilize to ensure that they are in compliace with the law, then they should be happy to use it. Should they be fined for noncompliance? Of course. They are breaking the law.

Regardless of whether or not we like the laws in this country, we are subject to them. To say it infringes upon our own personal rights is to ignore the fact that the law in question is meant to curb the illegal behavior of those who choose to ignore the law.

It's not rocket science.

Just had to come back and add this: Tequila sounds like a prime candidate for the background check. Why does law enforcement only apply as long as it does not target "illegal aliens"? What other laws should we repeal and where should we stop? Perhaps total chaos like we have in most third world countries would be more to your liking? The fact that you have illegals in your family does not change the law. I only assume of course that you have illegal family members. I can't imagine why else you would jump on the bandwagon to victimize the criminals.

If our laws are so bad then you could go live with your bretheren in Mexico. I'm sure plenty of them agree with you. Better yet, I'm sure a great deal of them would love to come over here and contribute to our system while they reap the benefits of living here. Contributing by the way, includes following the laws of this country. It really troubles me that there are so many like you that can't see the forest through the trees.

Answer 2

First off, this is a great start. Second, I think they should add a penalty for anyone who gets a renter's permit for an illegal to use and solve that problem before it inevitably starts. Third, I think that the landlords are going to breathe a sigh of relief because now they have the option to tell these people "no." How many do you think have been pressured to rent to these illegals in the first place? I'm sure a lot of them have but now they don't need to.

Answer 3

Yes! Democracy in action. My only question now is how do we deal with the pro illegal, every minority is a priority, ACLU. How do the AMERICAN PEOPLE get rid of this filth. This act is not only protecting landlords rights, but taking rights away from the illegal scum that shouldn't have them in the first place. If they can't find a place to live, or food to eat (based on another answerers comment) They will act like the vermin they are and move on. Take the dumpster away, and the rats leave with it.

Answer 4

i can see how the mayor thinks that this would help solve the immigration problem in his city.

However, when I left my husband, I needed to have a place for me and my children to live, and I needed it quickly. i wonder if a law like that would have prevented me from finding shelter in a timely matter. I had no relatives or friends to live with at the time, and very little money. If I had to stay in a hotel room while waiting for a background check, I might not have had the money for the security deposit on the rent. Then what would we have done?

What if the background checks got backlogged? How long is a reasonable wait for a person to get housing when they have none?

Answer 5

First let me say...kudos to PA!! You say personal rights? but, what about all the immigrants who come/came to America and did it legally? When you enter a country illegally then you broke the LAW!!! What about all the ppl who are getting social security and arent' even a legal citizen but you hear how Social Security prob wont be there when I need it and i've been paying into it all my life.
I feel for them, I do but the bottom line is that they entered the country illegally and broke the law. As a citizen that would need to fill out the paperwork for the permit....a little inconvient yes but no infringement on personal rights as they are only checking legal citizenship status.
I live in SE Texas and deal with all sorts of ILLEGALS and if we had a mayor, governor or anybody in power with a bit of umphh I wouldnt be reading my Milk carton bilingually and wouldnt have to be paid 1/2 my worth due to the fact that employers can hire illegals for less.
Just my opinion and everyone has one.....

Answer 6

I think it's an awesome law. It's not like it's a major criminal background check- they're only checking against INS. And IF you have nothing to hide, who cares?

The reason the ACLU would be fighting it is because "probable cause" gets a little funny in legal definitions. If they're requiring everyone who rents to have this background check, they're invading privacy without that probable cause. BUt quite frankly, if I had to do it myself, I wouldn't really mind.

Answer 7

I don't see anything wrong with it. As a legal citizen of the US, to get an apartment I had to provide job history, rental history, SS#, they ran a credit check and a background check. Why should it be any different for anyone else? Landlords have a right to protect themselves too.

Answer 8

Landlords have to enforce the immigration laws now?

I think it is just another example of this govt., wanting to take away freedoms from the average American.....Its a case of having security and giving up our basic freedoms.......

BTW, why doesn't this mayor want illegals renting? Doesn't he know that when an illegal rents, he is contributing to the property taxes which pay for public schools? It seems these people can't win.....They are damned if they do and damned if they don't....

Answer 9

I say hooray. It's about time to stand up against the influx of illegals. We need to say to them, if you are in this country illegally, life is gonna be tough. They should prove their right to work as well as their right to rent a home. They should stop clogging the school systems and the welfare systems that were set up for American citizens. If they want to come into this country legally, get work visas and so forth then fine. Otherwise, go back home.

Answer 10

I am opposed to any goverment scrutiny of indaviduals on the pretext of one person is more acceptable than onother because one has a certain DNA structure and one does not have the same.
I never noticed that illeagals were a problem untill the prsident tried to frighten US by stateing that illeagals are the bad for business?
That lady liberty chick says bring us your hungr, your tired, your poor. Or something really profound like that. If this is no longer the rule by wich we adhere to, then tear down the statues that stand for freedom.