Illegal immigrants - Courier - Bound Brook mulls refusing rental to illegals

Published in the Courier News July 7 thru July 9, 2008

(1) Monday, July 7, 2008

Councilman proposes ordinance
to halt renting to illegal immigrants in borough

By KARA L. RICHARDSON
STAFF WRITER

A proposal intended to crack down on illegal immigrants in the borough will be on the table at tonight's Borough Council meeting.

Councilman Jim Lefkowitz said he will introduce a resolution requiring landlords to verify their tenants are legal residents. The Borough Council meets at 7 p.m. in Borough Hall, 230 Hamilton St.

Lefkowitz's proposal comes four years after the U.S. Department of Justice cited borough officials for waging a multifaceted campaign to drive out Hispanics. Bound Brook, while not admitting guilt, agreed to settle the suit, paying a $30,000 fine and creating a $425,000 compensation fund for victims of discrimination between 1996 and 2002.

Lefkowitz alleged that since the U.S. Department of Justice citation, the borough has not enforced its own ordinances to prevent overcrowding. He said, "We're in danger of being considered a sanctuary (for illegal immigrants)."

Immigrant advocates have called proposals such as Lefkowitz's divisive, "wrong-headed" and "not the way to solve immigrant problems."

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed lawsuits challenging similar proposals adopted in a number of other municipalities across the country, including Hazleton, Pa., and the Burlington County community of Riverside. The Hazleton ordinance, which drew national attention, was overturned by a federal judge in 2007 while the Riverside law was repealed after a challenge was filed in court.

Lefkowitz said it's time for the borough to fight illegal immigration as there are several new housing projects on the horizon which might include several rental units, and he wanted to have new rules on the books before those units are occupied.

Lefkowitz's proposal also calls for police to determine the legal status of any person arrested and to make sure that if any illegal alien is taken into custody, that person is turned over to federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officials. He has said that the proposal is consistent with current federal policy.

The proposal also calls for the borough to deny any contracts to a firm that hires illegal aliens.

"There's a ground swell of people willing to turn the other cheek on illegal immigration. I will not do it," Lefkowitz said.

Kara L. Richardson may be reached at (908) 707-3186 or krichardson@mycentraljersey.com.

Online story here.

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(2) Tuesday July 8, 2008

Proposal to crack down on illegal immigrants stalls
during Bound Brook council meeting

By KARA L. RICHARDSON
STAFF WRITER

A heated discussion ensued Tuesday night as the Borough Council was about to consider a proposal that would crack down on illegal immigrants.

Councilman Jim Lefkowitz's proposal, which would require landlords to obtain proof that tenants are legal residents, was introduced at Tuesday's meeting but did not move forward.

Mayor Carey Pilato, who said he's against the proposal, said the measure may bring additional legal fees and issues to the borough, which is still in the shadow of the U.S. Department of Justice investigation.

Lefkowitz's proposal comes four years after the U.S. Department of Justice cited borough officials for waging a multifaceted campaign to drive out Hispanics. Bound Brook, while not admitting guilt, agreed to settle the suit, paying a $30,000 fine and creating a $425,000 compensation fund for victims of discrimination between 1996 and 2002.

Linda Brnicevic, a Bound Brook resident, said Lefkowitz's proposal "is just going to be racial profiling." "I don't know when Bound Brook is going to learn,'" Brnicevic said. "You got slapped with the DOJ investigation. You had to take sensitivity classes, right?"

Lefkowitz, who said he embraces the Hispanic community in the borough, said his proposal is specific to illegal immigrants. He had said it's time for the borough to fight illegal immigration as there are several new housing projects on the horizon which may include several rental units, and he wanted to have new rules on books before they are occupied.

John Rucki, co-chair of New Jersey Citizens for Immigration Control, cited a 2007 The Federation for American Immigration Reform report saying illegal immigration costs New Jersey residents $2.1 billion in costs such as education, health care and incarceration.

"I admire Mr. Lefkowitz for his courage to bring it up,'" Rucki said.

Carmen Morales, a part-time realtor and full-time school bus driver, came to the meeting from Edison to commend Lefkowitz for his proposal.

Morales, who is a United States citizen of Puerto Rican descent, is against the living conditions for many illegal immigrants.

""People should not be living the way they are living. People are looking the other way and you are right on the money,'" Morales said to Lefkowitz.

Pilato said the borough already has a yearly inspection schedule for its 1,200-1,300 rental units, which make up approximately half of the borough's housing stock.

Grace C. Lemoke-Duebecke, a homeowner and landlord in Bound Brook, wanted to know how Lefkowitz expected landlords to check the legal status of a tenant.

"It's going to fall down on us,'" Lemoke-Duebecke said.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed lawsuits challenging similar proposals adopted in a number of other municipalities across the country.

Lefkowitz's proposal also calls for police to determine the legal status of any person arrested and to make sure that if any illegal immigrant is taken into custody, that person is turned over to federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement officials. He has said that proposal is consistent with current federal policy.

The proposal also calls for the borough to deny any contracts to a firm that hires illegal immigrants.

Kara L. Richardson can be reached at (908) 707-3186 or krichardson@mycentraljersey.com.

Online story here.

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(3) Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Councilman aims to get illegal-immigrant
crackdown measure onto ballot

By KARA L. RICHARDSON
STAFF WRITER

Councilman Jim Lefkowitz wants to put on the November ballot his proposal to crack down on illegal immigrants in the borough.

Lefkowitz attempted to introduce a resolution with his proposal during Tuesday's borough council meeting, but none of his fellow council members made a motion that would have allowed its presentation discussion. The proposal would require landlords to obtain proof their tenants are legal residents, borough officials to deny contracts to firms that hire illegal immigrants and police to turn in to federal immigration authorities any illegal immigrants arrested in the borough.

"I can tell you this is not the end of this issue," Lefkowitz said at Tuesday's meeting. "I will do everything in my power to put this on the ballot in November as a nonbinding referendum."

Lefkowitz said he would hold a petition drive to do so.

To get a question on the ballot via petition, one would first need to obtain signatures from one-tenth of the voters registered for the last general election, Somerset County Clerk Brett Radi said. In Bound Brook's case, that would be 356 signatures.

If the issue is submitted via petition and presented to the municipality's governing body, it must be submitted to the county clerk's office by Sept. 5, Radi said.

Mayor Carey Pilato discouraged Lefkowitz from moving forward with the proposal. "Nobody seconded your resolution," Pilato said Tuesday night. You are on an island."

Pilato said the borough should not consider such an ordinance because the municipality is still in the shadow of the U.S. Department of Justice investigation that cited borough officials in 2004 for waging a multi-faceted campaign to drive out Hispanics.

Pilato said borough attorney James O'Donohue also advised against the proposal. O'Donohue could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Bound Brook admitted no guilt in the U.S. Department of Justice case, though officials agreed to pay a $30,000 fine and created a $425,000 compensation fund for victims of discrimination between 1996 and 2002. The borough also signed a consent decree that governs its policies on issues such as housing.

Lefkowitz stressed Tuesday night, in seeking support for his resolution, that the borough admitted no guilt in the U.S. Department of Justice case. He said the consent decree supports his proposal, because he believes his resolution would have prevented overcrowding in the borough's housing units.

Pilato said the borough also did not deny the U.S. Department of Justice's allegations. He said the borough strives to comply with the consent decree. At Tuesday's meeting, he held up an inch-thick quarterly report that must be filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. He also said the borough paid nearly $600,000 for one legal bill on that case.

Councilman Paul Hasting said some of the borough's existing ordinances could be tweaked to accomplish some of Lefkowitz's objectives.

Lefkowitz's proposal drew ire and commendation from the standing-room-only crowd Tuesday night in the council chambers.

John Rucki, co-chair of New Jersey Citizens for Immigration Control, came to the meeting to commend Lefkowitz for his courage to bring up the issue of illegal immigration, while resident Linda Brnicevic likened Lefkowitz's proposal to racial profiling.

Kara L. Richardson may be reached at (908) 707-3186 or krichardson@mycentraljersey.com.

Online story here.

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