City takes stand against illegal immigration
By Jonathan Randles
Signal Staff Writer
jrandles@the-signal.com
661-259-1234 x519
Posted: March 9, 2010 10:09 p.m.
POSTED March 10, 2010 6 a.m.
After weeks of pressure from challengers running for a council seat in April’s election and residents who have filled City Hall at recent meetings, the city of Santa Clarita took a symbolic stand opposing illegal immigration.
Council members voted at Tuesday’s Council meeting to endorse seven pieces of federal legislation, sponsored by Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon, that could increase penalties for people crossing the U.S. border illegally and add 350 miles of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, among other things.
“This is an opportunity to send a message to Congress that we think there is a problem (with illegal immigration),” Mayor Laurene Weste said at the meeting. “This is a complex problem that no one bill will solve.”
Weste brought the measures before the council for a vote.
Several people spoke both for and against the legislation — with speakers on opposite ends of the debate drawing applause from different groups of people sitting on either side of the City Council Chambers.
Weste said she hoped that a reasonable dialogue on illegal immigration, that cut through rhetoric on both sides, could be started by council members voting to support the legislation.
The council split the proposed legislation into two groups after
Councilwoman Laurie Ender voiced her concern about two bills that attempt to prevent the children of illegal immigrants born in the United States from being granted U.S. citizenship.
She said she was “clearly bothered” by any bill that attempted to strip a child’s citizenship, and voted against both bills that dealt with the children of illegal immigrants.
Christian Ramorino, 37, an immigration attorney from Canyon Country, said several of the laws the council was endorsing were probably unconstitutional.
“The laws as proposed that you are talking about will either require amending the Constitution or are unconstitutional,” Ramorino said.
Ramorino said the City Council would be better served focusing on different issues.
Weste, who acknowledged that it was likely none of the legislation would pass Congress as currently written, said the substance of the legislation wasn’t as important as what the symbolic act represents.
“A lot of what I heard on both sides is correct,” Weste said. “The important thing is to get a dialogue (on illegal immigration) started.”
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politicsazusual:
March 10, 2010 - 10:39 AM
Call your councilmember and your city manager and ask them to immediately implement the federal E-VERIFY program for all business licensed to do business in the City. I Did.
Why is the council dragging their feet on this one.
Lancaster recently passed ordinance 934 requiring employers to use E-Verify on new hires! Failure to use E-Verify can lead to the loss of their business license.
Can City staff begin E-Verify as standard business practice for city employee's and contractors to the city by edict of the City Manager?
Will the council draft an E-Verify ordinance BEFORE they run for re-election?
The Legal Arizona Workers Act requires all Arizona employers to use E-verify.
Georgia requires all public employers and government contractors to use E-Verify.
Colorado requires prospective contractors use E-Verify to ensure legal work status of all employees.
The Mississippi Employment Protection Act requires all Mississippi employers to use E-verify.
Rhode Island Governor Carcieri issued an executive order requiring executive agencies to use E-Verify.
South Carolina has passed a law requiring public employers and public contractors to use E-Verify.
icucanter:
March 10, 2010 - 11:45 AM
Any entreprenuer's out there? Independent contractor for busing illegals back to Nogales once per week. Anyone picked up without valid green card is held in county jail until the once a week bus ride. If this city took some of the money from the millions they've spent on cemex the tax payer wouldn't even need to be tapped.
BBennetts:
March 10, 2010 - 02:46 PM
Who voted for what? Did it all pass unanimously? I would think these simple details would be a key part of the story.
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