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Mt. Rainier courts illegal aliens
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A welcome sign in the Mount Rainier neighborhood. The community continues to be a magnet for immigrants who are lured by cheap housing and a police force that does not question residents' immigration status.
Washington DC (Map, News) - Mount Rainier is home to thousands of immigrants, and if city council members get their way, the Prince George's County community will be putting out a welcome mat for more to come.
Councilman Pedro Briones has proposed an ordinance that would prohibit city employees from asking residents about their immigration status, thwarting federal immigration laws and turning the city of 10,000 into a sanctuary similar to Takoma Park.
Mount Rainier's police department already has a policy not to question immigration status.
Briones couldn't be reached for comment, but Councilman Jimmy Tarlau said the proposed ordinance is a backlash against the hostility toward Latinos in places like Prince William County where officials are cracking down on the immigrant population.
The immigrants, attracted to Mount Rainier for its affordable housing and welcoming attitude, are also law-abiding residents and, Tarlau said, he'd like to keep it that way.
"We want them to follow the rules and laws of our town, and we want to make sure they know [their status] is not a concern for our municipality."
Immigration has been a divisive issue nationally, and increasingly so in Maryland.
In October, Takoma Park upheld a 1985 immigrant sanctuary law and the Taneytown City Council recently said the city's existing immigration enforcement didn't warrant an ordinance declaring Taneytown "not a sanctuary city."
Groups like Help Save Maryland have fought against any suggestion of lackadaisical immigration enforcement. And they plan to do that again in Mount Rainier, the group's director, Brad Botwin said.
"We think this is going against the tide of public opinion in Maryland," Botwin said. "You have a reckless councilman, Briones, wanting to make a sanctuary where literally criminal illegal immigrants can walk the city streets."
Briones suggested making Mount Rainier a sanctuary for illegal immigrants during a council work session in December, and council members decided to let the public weigh in before they voted.
"While I support the ordinance," Tarlau said, "if people in the community don't support it, I will listen."
Prince George's County Help Save Maryland organizers are hoping the community will protest, and they might apply pressure by boycotting Mount Rainier businesses.
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12:08 PM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008 re: "Mt. Rainier courts illegal aliens"
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Mike said:
Mt Ranier is my home town, and I went to Mt ranier grade school, Mt Ranier jr high, and North Western high school in the late 50s to the early 70s and friends and families then were happy then. I lived on perry st and grew up there. To make a long story short, If my friends and families were there now, this crap would never have happend.Take this so called sanctuary and put them in it where they come from. Not my home town. I hate what is going on there. IT is un called for.
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Examiner Reader said:
What cracks me up is Jolene Ivey testified at the public hearing. She testified that she supports this ordinance. She is a State Delegate. She is also on the Board of Directors at Casa de Maryland. Oh by the way, she is married to the States Attorney for PG county Glenn Ivey! It's a county wide lovefest. I think a good idea for the next time we have a local election is that individuals are located at all the polling places to challange the legal residency of all voters!
10 agree | 9 disagree
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Sendthemhome said:
Illegal means illegal whether in Mexico or Mount Ranier These people have broken the laws of our land..and should be jailed or send back to their home country along w/their supporters!!! It's about illegal immigrants folks!!!
10 agree | 10 disagree
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Buzzm1 said:
How's about if we send them 1 million illegal immigrants, will their city budget be able to handle the load??.
54 agree | 33 disagree
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Bobby said:
Let them court the illegal job and wage depressing folks. People like councilman Pedro Briones is only looking out for "his" people. The real trajedy is this, millions of Americans don't get it and never will. It is an invasion by Mexican nationals mainly, and everywhere it is allowed, they will call the shots when their numbers are large enough, in SPITE of the laws on the books. In California, they are now literally doing whatever they want. Hunderds of laws have become meaningless if they get in the way of "MY PEOPLE". When will SOME of you dopey American citizens get it??
56 agree | 27 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Good Bye America Good buy buy
60 agree | 38 disagree
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Lindy Autumn said:
There are too many in the "life boat America" sucking up our welfare,medical & food stamp benefits. When the ship sinks we all go down! We will be a 3rd world economy-fast approaching "one world order" conspiracy is real.This is the plan of the "elite" to break us financially-Too many are on "the take" in our Government. Wake up people!
65 agree | 47 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
all that needs to be done is funding cutoff for these areas. If they are encouraging law-breaking then the federal funds need to be shutoff. Let these areas fund their own illegal activities.
69 agree | 37 disagree
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Chris Haywood said:
How is it they say they want to invite the 'law abiding' illegal immigrants when they are braking laws to arrive? It would seem a more fitting description that instead of law abiding, we more accurately say 'law abiding when convenient'
43 agree | 32 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
We have an arrogant, incompetent, illiterate, and inept fool in the White House, a demoralized and decimated military, plundered treasury, trashed world standing, trampled rule of Law and Constitution. While the nation is sinking under an tidal wave of Uneducated Illegal Aliens waving the Mexican flag, demanding their rights, while sucking at the trough of Public Welfare, as they Kill, Rob, and Rape thousands of American Citizens each year. While most of the Candidates are pandering for the Latino vote by implying or promising Amnesty! We as a nation can survive fools in our White House. What we CANNOT survive is fools both in our Congress and white house like Bush, McCain, Hillary, Obama, etc. Each promising a new American, rebuilding the middle class and taking care of the poor. But what they refuse to acknowledge or recognize is no single Nation or people is rich enough to lift the 100,s of millions of poor out of poverty. In others words American & American taxpayers canno
81 agree | 39 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I couldn't be more proud to live in Prince William County. Our leaders care about the law abiding people in their county. Come to this country the correct way and you'll be welcomed into our communities. Sneak across our boarders and you're not welcome. Pretty simple.
62 agree | 48 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"We want them to follow the rules and laws of our town.......as far as the laws of our country, we really don't care. Protect your citizens. Instead they put the well being of Illgeals ahead of Legal citizens. Am I the only one that sees this as a backward way of running a gov't?
70 agree | 36 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This is a bunch of crap. Get rid of Briones (who is probably illegal himself). Follow Pr. William Co. Va's lead, now, PG Co!
71 agree | 33 disagree
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