State Sen. Christina Castro introduced a bill last session to prevent illegal alien reporting. It passed both houses but was vetoed by Rauner.
Rauner rightly concluded that such a bill would violate federal laws. I believe it would be unconstitutional to boot.
With a new governor Castro is back at it.
Please consider Illinois Legislation Would Ban Landlords from Reporting Tenants to Immigration Officials.
“This bill is to allow our immigrant communities to feel safe and not retaliated against based on what their immigration status is,” she said.
Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said the bill entirely blocks landlords from reporting illegal immigrants to the authorities.
“You are telling your landlords ‘no, you can’t say a word to anyone in law enforcement about that individual,’” he said. “Is there any other area that you can think of in state policy where you would so tie a landlord’s hands?”
The bill now awaits House consideration.
California has a law that prohibits landlords from asking tenants about their immigration status. There’s an effort in Washington D.C. to charge a landlord guilty of reporting a tenant to immigration with felony extortion.
Making It a Felony to Report a Crime
Illegal aliens are here illegally, by definition.
In the twisted minds of Democrats, it is “discrimination” to report crimes to authorities.
In Illinois, Castro’s bill would allow a tenant to sue the landlord for up to $2,000 in civil court.
The Illinois law has little bite. For starters, how would anyone even know who reported the tenant to authorities. Secondly, the landlord could have a third party do the reporting. Third, the fine is a mere $2,000 and the illegal alien would have to initiate a lawsuit.
That’s not going to happen. Rather, Castro’s law is little more than a symbolic and futile effort to intimidate landlords.
The same of course applies in D.C. Just have someone else do the reporting. But that involves another person who might snitch. Then your apartment building is bombarded with protesters and picketers for weeks.
Especially in D.C. where a felony charge awaits, it’s probably best to report anonymously yourself because the potential consequences are severe.
Public Service
As a public service against clearly unconstitutional laws, WikiHow explains How to Report Illegal Immigrants Anonymously.
Here’s the curious thing about all this. There is no fool-proof way to know if someone is here illegally, unless the person tells you.
In California you cannot even ask, not that anyone would ever tell the truth if they were here illegally.
Nonetheless, such blatantly unconstitutional laws have no merit for existence. Their sole purpose is to intimidate landlords into accepting illegal aliens.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Let me guess – more scared Republicans? What happened to America the brave or more importantly, America the smart. If you are afraid of immigrants, illegal or otherwise and actually believe them to be some sort of threat that warrants fear mongering instead of embracing the economic benefits, then perhaps communist China may be a better home. A billion & half people compared to our 300 million, they don’t need immigrants. Let’s spend our money on really keeping America safe – fighting traffic deaths (30,000 in US per year), lung cancer deaths (400,000) per year, or, god forbid, gun control (20,000 plus shootings) per year.
Let me guess, is Illinois a democrat state? LOL. And make it legal for them to vote. Dems know who their bread and butter are. What will the likes of Pelosi do when her job gets replaced by an illegal voted to office? That would be too funny. I mean really, why have a couple hundred white people in charge of all the blacks and illegals? That’s racist.
The next step will be to make it impossible to evict an illegal alien. They’ll claim they’re being evicted because they’re here illegally and the landlord will have to prove otherwise. Which will be impossible.
illegals? Ha! Check out Oregons new tenant law
Why would a landlord care about the citizenship status of a tenant?
They might not, but what if the renter suddenly allowed 5 others to live in the appt?
What if the renter stopped paying?
I believe that’s why you have a rental agreement. If they are violating the lease, you evict them. No need for proof of citizenship necessary.
The term “illegal immigrant” did not exist in the American lexicon of the 19th Century.
Before World War I, there were no green cards, no visas, no quotas, no passports.
You just showed up, and if you could walk without a limp, and you had $30 in your pocket, you walked right in.
What is different today, you have welfare and warfare state
Welfare state and warfare state. And a state ever more dependent on feeding animosity and setting people up against each other. To ensure people are busy fighting and worrying about their neighbor. While the Junta and its fellow travelers rob them all. Of all they have, as well as all they ever will have.
The Immigration Act of 1924, in effect until 1965, banned the immigration of Eastern and Southern Europeans. This while the USA proudly displayed the Statue of Liberty. Reparations!
Maybe it should just be a crime to report that someone is illegal if they are in fact legal. Otherwise, you just have the “it’s unusual for someone to speak Spanish here” witch hunts.
Another one glib Mish didn’t think through all the way.
Castro undoubtedly has a degree. Probably from the same place that rectal thermometer’s get their degrees from.
“In Illinois, Castro’s bill would allow a tenant to sue the landlord for up to $2,000 in civil court.”
And there, the mystery is solved: As always, ever more aggrandizement of tinpot courts, with ever greater leeway to insert themselves into the business of others.
ICE should just stake out the court house on those illegals who are naïve enough to collect the $2,000 lottery check. I have no idea why people buy into such B$.
Because the will vote for more and more free sh*t and for democrats for generations.
Yep. But you better bake that damn cake.
“In the twisted minds of Democrats, it is “discrimination” to report crimes to authorities.”
Why would a landlord care about the citizenship status of a tenant? As long as the check clears it shouldn’t matter. If the tenant is later deported the lease is terminated and the tenant forfeits any deposit paid.
Unless the law created a catch-22 situation where it is illegal to rent to an illegal immigrant but it is also illegal to ask if a potential renter is in the country legally I don’t see a problem.
Perhaps some folks with parents, siblings, or spouses who went through the hassle of entering legally might have a big problem with this ‘sanctuary’ bullshit.
Sure. I get that one governmental entity circumventing the rules of another is a problem. But what business is it of a private businessman? Should Walmart demand a passport to enter their store? Should Amazon not deliver packages until you produce a RealID? It’s bad enough that the TSA requires “papers” to travel by air, and also some cooperation by the airlines, local governments (who run airports), and citizens.
Again, I ask the question: Why does it matter to the landlord, other than for emotional/personal reasons, who they rent to assuming they are following the rules as laid out in a lease agreement?
Wouldn’t it be a bit weird if a Walmart employee was straight up banned from tipping off the cops, if one of America’s Most Wanted just strolled in to the store he worked, with a severed head under his arm, and bought a quart of chain oil for his chainsaw?
I mean, he paid for the oil and all… In free societies, it’s certainly no duty of anyone to inform on others no matter what, but to straight up ban it?
Once again, missing my point. Let’s use your example. A few wise guys head to the Walmart to pick up some ammunition so they can take care of someone. Assuming they aren’t in a state that requires background checks for ammo, is it Walmart’s responsibility to make sure that ammo is only going to be used for deer hunting? Can Walmart be found to be an accessory to murder?
It’s not Walmart’s responsibility to report anything. But neither does it make much sense to enact laws straight up banning Walmart’s employees from calling the cops to alert them that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is being reenacted live in a van in its parking lot.
I don’t think (well, actually I do, but I don’t have the highest opinion of my fellow indoctrinati’s comprehension of anything at all anymore….) anyone wants to force landlords to report everyone they come across who just may have broken some law. But this is about banning them from doing so. Which is what makes it weird, even by the loopy land standards of our current day Dystopia.
If there is political mileage to be had from doing so then it will happen. Recall that some banks were sued for handling ‘terrorist’ money following 9/11, never mind that few of us knew how to spell terrorist prior to 9/11.
Being in this country illegally is a felony. In Mexico, the origin of most of our immigration felons, it’ll get you locked up. So, is it your position that we should all ignore all felons, or just those we don’t like, if they don’t appear to be menacing us in any particular moment?
Most immigration violations are not even crimes much less felonies. It’s a civil violation which can result in a deportation order, not criminal penalty.
Both theft and fraud are felonies in every state. Explain to me how an illegal immigrant is not guilty of both if they ignore our immigration laws to come here, accept public assistance and apply for employment representing themselves as eligible for employment in defiance of E verify.
You said being in the country “illegally” is a felony. It’s not.
Still quibbling with words after all this time. It’s not a word problem, hasn’t been since Reagan solemnly signed the ‘final’ immigration reform bill in 1986 granting legal status to over four million illegals. Since then, it’s obviously all been about more voters for Democrats and more cheap labor for business, both parties.
Not at all. But again, if the renter isn’t specifically causing any problem for the landlord why do you have a problem with them?
Most landlords use tenant screening services provided by credit bureaus and perform criminal background checks. Do you think an illegal tenant will provide true identity on his/her rental application? Are you comfortable renting to anyone who shows up as long as the check clears?
Castro’s bill is Just another casual disrespecting of the rule of law, lowering the barrier one more notch that prevent anyone from picking and choosing which laws they’ll respect. That’s nature’s plan: Chaos, then entropy.
Still, traffic laws really cramp my style, and speed limits are a drag. I could probably get Castro’s support for letting me drive the medians and sidewalks at 100 mph, unreported if there were thirty or forty million of me, like there are illegal aliens…