Farmers Branch Immigrant Ordinance Enjoined

A state district court judge has temporarily blocked the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch from implementing a controversial ordinance banning apartment owners from leasing to illegal immigrants. The action Thursday came amid a flurry of legal activity involving the city ordinance that was scheduled to take effect Friday.

Judge Bruce Priddy of the 116th District Court issued the temporary restraining order in response to a request from resident Guillermo Ramos. Mr. Ramos sued the city in December, alleging the City Council violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by conducting all of its deliberations on the immigration ordinance behind closed doors, then voting before residents could see the text of the ordinance and comment on it.

A new suit also has been filed by local businesses challenging the ordinance and a companion resolution making English the city’s official language have made Hispanics afraid to go to Farmers Branch and are hurting the merchants’ businesses. The suit seeks damages for loss of revenue and future profits.

On Wednesday, representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund also petitioned a court for a temporary restraining order blocking the ordinance. The two civil rights groups have sued the city, saying the ordinance is unconstitutional. Marisol Perez, a staff attorney with the defense fund, said Thursday that the two groups were awaiting a hearing on the request but did not expect the federal court to issue a temporary restraining order since the state district court did.

Another suit involves three of the city’s largest apartment complexes. It also charges that the ordinance is unconstitutional because it targets an ethnic group – Hispanics – and interferes with the ability of the apartment complexes to conduct business.

Click here for a blow-by-blow account of all the legal activity surrounding the ordinance.

KJ