Texas apartment owners sue over local illegal immigration laws News
Texas apartment owners sue over local illegal immigration laws

[JURIST] Three Texas landlords filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the constitutionality of strict measures against illegal immigrants passed last month in their Dallas suburb [JURIST report; Dallas Morning News report]. The defendants in the federal court action are the city of Farmers Branch [official website] and key members of the city's government, including the mayor, the city council, and the city's building inspector. The lawsuit seeks to stop the measures from going into effect as scheduled on January 12th.

The local anti-illegal immigration laws, the strongest yet passed in Texas, include making English the city's official language [Res. No. 2006-130 text], requiring apartment renters to show proof of residency [Ordinance No. 2892 text], and giving police the power to screen the residency status of suspects in custody. Landlords who rent to illegal immigrants are subject to a $500 fine for each day they violate the law by renting to individuals without proper documentation. Activists have already petitioned against the ordinance [AP report] in an effort to put it to a referendum. An estimated 37 percent of Farmers Branch's population of 28,000 is Hispanic. AP has more. The Houston Chronicle has additional coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.