Jul 8, 2008 7:58 pm US/Eastern
2 NJ Towns Consider Anti-Illegal Immigrant Action
Bound Brook Councilman Pushes Aggressive Ordinance To Rid Municipality Of Undocumented Immigrants
Calls For Enforcement Of Overcrowding Laws
BOUND BROOK, N.J. (CBS) ―
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Mexican man climbs over barbed wire at US border.
AP
Two New Jersey towns are considering ordinances to get rid of illegal immigrants. Middletown's efforts are in the drafting stage, but the town council in Bound Brook takes up the issue Tuesday night.
Illegal immigrants are apparently not welcome in Bound Brook. One city councilman wants them run out of town on a rail.
"They should be legal. Bottom line is we can't support criminals. We just don't have the fund to do it," Councilman Jim Lefkowitz said.
Bound Brook is just one of New Jersey municipalities considering an anti-illegal immigrant ordinance. The other is Middletown, which seems to want to pattern its actions on the Bound Brook resolution.
"I'm asking that overcrowding be enforced. I'm asking that landlords be held accountable as far as illegal immigrant harboring, and that they be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Lefkowitz.
Lefkowitz wants penalties for landlords who rent to illegals and he wants any illegal alien taken into custody by local police to be turned over to the feds.
Immigration experts are horrified. They say immigration policy should be handled by the federal government, not local authorities.
"It's inappropriate, it's xenophobic. It does absolutely nothing to forward good appropriate human and fair public policy," said Shai Goldstein of the N.J. Immigration Policy Network.
But many who live and work in Bound Brook don't see it that way.
"I do believe that it has a lot of benefits because of the fact that we as American citizens are getting slighted," said resident Ann Marie Russo.
"I think it's absolutely necessary," said Bill Kovach.
"I work hard. I'm paying one rent on my own salary and here they've got anywhere from five to ten people sharing an apartment," said Dottie McGrane.
The Bound Brook city council will vote on the proposal on Tuesday night. Councilman Lefkowitz says if it's defeated he's not gong to give up, promising to put it before the voters in a November referendum.
The move comes four years after the U.S. Department of Justice cited Bound Brook for waging a campaign to drive out Hispanics. While not admitting guilt, Bound Brook settled the suit.
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