[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12344]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TO RENT OR NOT TO RENT TO ILLEGALS

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, the citizens of Farmers Branch, 
Texas, voted overwhelmingly to make it a crime for landlords to rent to 
people illegally in the United States, fining landlords $500 a day. The 
people have spoken. They want only citizens and legal immigrants to 
live in the city.
  Oh, but some landlords object. I find this odd. It is illegal to be 
in the United States without permission. It is illegal to hire illegals 
that are in the United States without permission. So if illegals aren't 
supposed to be here in the first place or work here, it is only logical 
they shouldn't be able to rent here.
  In spite of this new law, some landlords want to take this American 
city to court and demand that they, these money-grabbing landlords, be 
able to rent to the illegals.
  This is perplexing. The Federal Government doesn't adequately protect 
the border or prosecute or deport illegals, so cities like Farmers 
Branch, Texas, are simply trying to make their city a sanctuary city 
for Americans and legal immigrants. And good for them.
  But who knows what the Supreme Court will do. Let's see if in the 
name of the almighty dollar these rogue businessmen will convince the 
Supreme Court that illegals should be able to rent property, even 
though they are illegally on the land they are renting.
  And that's just the way it is.

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