Overview

To prevent local discrimination against immigrants, legislation should add immigration and citizenship status to the grounds of prohibited discrimination under fair housing laws and/or prohibit cities, counties, and landlords from making inquiries into immigration status.

• California AB 976 was enacted in October 2007 to block local ordinances that promote housing discrimination against immigrant community members; the bill also prohibits landlords from making inquiries about immigration status or requesting documentation in most cases.
• In 2007, Texas's proposed HB 2676 would have prevented any political subdivision from requiring landlords to turn away prospective tenants solely on the basis of their immigration status and would have prohibited landlords from inquiring into a tenant's immigration status. 
• In late May 2008, U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay struck down an ordinance passed by the city of Farmers Branch, Texas prohibiting landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants, finding that the ordinance was preempted by Federal law.  See Villas at Parkside Partners v. City of Farmers Branch.