Navigation

Protect Immigrants from Private Discrimination

Overview

Oct 31 2008

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.

From the Dispatch

Arizona "Copycat" Anti-Immigrant Bill Killed in Rhode Island Without a Hearing

May 27 2010

Immigrant and workers' rights advocates celebrated a victory in Rhode Island this week with the announcement that State Rep. Peter Palumbo's anti-immigrant bill, closely based on Arizona's widely criticized SB 1070, would not get a hearing. Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox came out in opposition to Palumbo's bill, and decided to table it -- the proposal was drafted roughly ten days ago, just before the end of the state's legislative session.

Arizona and the Nation: A Failing State Versus Positive Approaches to Immigrant Integration

May 03 2010

As we highlighted two weeks ago, the Arizona legislature and Governor's decisions to pass a punitive, anti-immigrant bill - SB1070 - have unleashed a torrent of condemnations inside and outside of Arizona. Voices speaking up against the bill have come not only from civil rights organizations, but have also included public safety officials, constitutional legal scholars, and, significantly, Republican leaders and candidates from other states with significant immigrant populations.

Arizona Risks Jeopardizing its Economic Future as it Contemplates Passing Anti-Immigrant Law

Apr 22 2010

This week, the Arizona Senate passed the nation's most draconian immigration law - which criminalizes the undocumented and those accused of assisting them - that many critics say will drive racial profiling and further undermine Arizona's devastated economy. The bill now awaits now awaits Governor Jan Brewer's veto or approval.

Secret Deportation Quotas, Program Failures and High Budget Costs from Local Immigration Enforcement Revealed in Recent Reports

Apr 08 2010

Recent reports have raised serious concerns about program failures, secret deportation quotas and the high costs of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s controversial 287(g) program, which trains and authorizes state and local police departments to enforce federal immigration law.

New PSN Report: The Anti-Immigrant Movement that Failed

Sep 09 2008

Today, the Progressive States Network is releasing a new report: The Anti-Immigrant Movement that Failed: Positive Integration Policies by States Still Far Outweigh Punitive Policies Aimed at New Immigrants. The Executive Summary is available online, as well as the full report in PDF and HTML format.

You are viewing a resource page for