Federal court blocks Dallas suburb anti-illegal immigration ordinance

The Mexican American legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDF) and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Texas (ACLU-Texas) [advocacy websites] won a temporary restraining order [PDF text; MALDF press release] from the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas Monday, blocking the enforcement of an anti-illegal immigration city ordinance [DOC text] that was scheduled to take effect Tuesday in Farmers Branch, Texas. The MALDF and ACLU-Texas said that they will continue with their earlier lawsuit  filed on December 26, 2006, on behalf of residents and landlords maintaining that the ordinance violates federal immigration law and violates the fundamental rights of both landlords and tenants.

The ordinance, approved by voters earlier in May, requires apartment renters to demonstrate proof of US-residency and penalizes landlords who rent to illegal immigrants. Landlords who do not comply with the law face fines up to $500. The ordinance is a revision of an earlier ordinance that was set to take effect in January. [MORE]