Towns Reconsider Anti-Immigrant Laws
Faced with lawsuits and failing businesses, some municipalities are rethinking laws designed to crack down on illegal immigrants.
The town of Riverside, N.J., is among those that have reconsidered, the New York Times reports. Its law had punished landlords who rent to illegal immigrants or employers who hire them. But legal challenges cost it $82,000 in attorney fees, and the exodus of immigrants caused its businesses to close.
Last week Riverside repealed its ordinance, following the lead of another town hit with legal challenges, Valley Park, Mo. They were among more than 30 towns that passed laws to discourage illegal immigration.
Anti-immigrant measures have also been blocked or struck down in Farmers Branch, Texas, and Hazleton, Pa. Muzaffar A. Chishti, director of the New York office of the Migration Policy Institute, said he expects such challenges will help lead to the repeal of other ordinances.
“People in many towns are now weighing the social, economic and legal costs of pursuing these ordinances,” he said.
