Nebraska Attorney General refuses to sue for immigrants' fair housing rights

[Wild Irish Rose2]

LINCOLN, Neb.-- Anne Hobbs was angry. The head of the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission had just learned of a Hispanic couple who said their landlord asked for their driver's licenses - but didn't ask the same of non-Hispanic tenants.
Hobbs said it sounded like the couple were "treated differently than everybody else because of national origin," and sent the case to the state's top prosecutor, hoping he would sue on their behalf under fair housing laws.

When Attorney General Jon Bruning received the case, he was angry, too - for a different reason than Hobbs.

"I'm not going to use taxpayer dollars to file lawsuits for illegal aliens," said Bruning after learning the couple was in the U.S. illegally. "You're not going to get a free lawyer" from his office, he said, "if you're not a citizen of this country."

Critics say Bruning's legal rationale is so off-base that he may end up in court after all - and not as a prosecutor. Immigration activists suggest they may be laying the groundwork for a first-of-its kind lawsuit, with Bruning as the defendant.

Bruning argues that the federal 1996 welfare reform law prohibits him from providing legal services to illegal immigrants, pointing to a section that says only legal residents should get state or local public benefits. The law defines them to include welfare, disability and health services.

It doesn't mention legal services, but Bruning believes they are included in wording that denies "any other similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual, household or family eligibility unit."

Immigration advocates say the interpretation is unprecedented and mean-spirited, and that discrimination should be prosecuted regardless of the victim's immigration status.

"No public official has ever taken the position that anti-discrimination protections are equal to welfare benefits," said Jonathan Blazer, an attorney with the National Immigration Law Center.

The couple ultimately asked Bruning not to prosecute because they feared it would draw the attention of immigration authorities. Their names have not been publicly released.

But any legal showdown over the case could help define just how far attorneys general can push against illegal immigrants while staying on the right side of the law.

Raul Gonzalez, legislative director of the National Council of La Raza, a national Hispanic rights group, said Bruning's interpretation would allow people to "run wild over immigrants."
Under Bruning's logic, he said, prosecutors would not seek justice against someone who ran a red light and injured an illegal immigrant.

"They're basically saying it's open season on undocumented immigrants," Gonzalez said.

Bruning's office said that's not the case.

"It's ridiculous to compare prosecuting criminal cases using taxpayer dollars to filing a lawsuit seeking damages from a private citizen for the benefit of illegal aliens," said Bruning's chief deputy, David Cookson.

Bruning agrees with the groups that the law protects illegal immigrants from discrimination. But he said he isn't legally obligated to prosecute on their behalf, and that they should seek legal counsel elsewhere....(cont.)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap...

[So What]

It is open season on illegal aliens. Come here legally or stfu.

[arcamedes]

In Nebraska if you have property that you rent you must get ID from any renter if you want to be coverd by insurace . Most landlords require ID befor renting so they can collect insurance if the property is damaged.I now own my home but rented a house in 1985 and my landlord asked for ID and references , should I be offended sinse my skin is RED ? Hmmm guess I forgot to be offended ........

[Cricket 23]

"I'm not going to use taxpayer dollars to file lawsuits for illegal aliens," said Bruning after learning the couple was in the U.S. illegally. "You're not going to get a free lawyer" from his office, he said, "if you're not a citizen of this country."

Will this cover the crying?

Federal Immigration and Nationality Act
Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii)

"Any person who ... encourages or induces an alien to ... reside ... knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such ... residence is ... in violation of law, shall be punished as provided ... for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs ... fined under title 18 ... imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."

Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):

A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:

* assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or

* encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or

* knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions.

Or this?

In fact, under an April 29, 2003 court ruling, legal immigrants do not have the same due process rights as citizens. "Congress may make rules as to aliens that would be unacceptable if applied to citizens," then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist declared in the ruling.

[She Be Me]

And just how would these Illegal aliens know what this landlord requires of other people before he rents to them?

Looks like the Illegal aliens were trying to scam the system with the help/backing of Hispanic racist hate groups (National Counsel of La Raza (NCLR) and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)) conspiring with the Illegal aliens and egging the Illegal aliens on to do it. Wait isn't that AIDING and ABETTING Illegal aliens? That is breaking Federal LAW!

AG Jon Bruning needs to turn the names and address of the Illegal aliens over to ICE for deportation and have the Feds start an investigation on NCLR and MALDEF for aiding and abetting Illegal aliens, a FEDERAL CRIME.