Denver, CO – Sanctuary cities in housing? The legislature has entertained and passed a lot of crazy bills in the past two sessions. To name a few: forced vaccinations, sex education in schools for alternative lifestyles, anti-Second Amendment legislation, legal heroin injection sites, all while killing the oil and gas industry.
Something that has not received a lot of press is laws that protect people in the United States illegally.
We’ve covered Denver, with its sanctuary city policies such as not complying with ICE subpoenas and using taxpayer dollars to fund legal defense for illegals. However, the Democrats in the legislature have been sneaky and silent on the issue of illegal aliens. They know it’s a losing issue for them, especially with their blue-collar unionized labor base. That is, until now.
State Representative Julie Gonzales (D-Denver) has introduced legislation that would give illegals extra protection as tenants against landlords. Ths so-called “Immigrant Tenant Protection Act” is designed to block landlords from using immigration status against them.
Let’s review: if someone is in this country illegally, they are breaking the law – “illegal” means precisely that. If someone is here illegally, then technically, they are a criminal. Shouldn’t landlords be able to rent the property that they own to people that they choose? Yes, there are anti-discrimination laws, but this violates freedom of contract and places a lot of risk on the landlord.
Not checking immigration status makes zero business sense. If you’re a landlord, you want a creditworthy tenant, someone who doesn’t have a history of destroying property, and obviously, someone who will fulfill the terms of the lease.
If someone is here illegally, the risk is with the landlord. Will the person be deported? Will they be detained? Are they a flight risk to their home country? If they’re not able to fulfill the terms of the lease, the landlord eats the cost.
What prompted this law was a case where a man who was here illegally, had to fill out a form before renting from an international apartment management company. From Denverite, this form was:
“Supplemental Rental Application for Non-U.S. Citizens.” The heading of the form, which bears the logo of the National Apartment Association, a trade group, informs prospective tenants that the document’s purposes include “verifying that you are lawfully in the United States” and enabling landlords “to better cooperate with government officials in the performance of their duties when requested.”… “We don’t anticipate sharing this Supplemental Application with anyone except government officials who might inquire about you,” the heading concludes…The form also asks for identity, immigration status and other information. The questions include: “Have you ever been asked or ordered by a representative of any government to leave the U.S. or any other country? If yes, please state when and what country or countries (list all).”
Donna Bryson, Denverite, Jan. 22, 2020
A supplemental form for immigration status sounds like a good practice. Again, landlords want to make sure applicants will be able to fulfill their obligations under the lease. If they are already on the government’s radar to be deported, this is an issue.
Plus, shouldn’t it be the landlord’s civic duty to cooperate with the government (in this case) to help deport criminals?
By protecting immigration status and protecting illegals, this is a sanctuary city policy for landlords.
If you think sanctuary cities are wrong, what do you think about this legislation? Please post your comments below and on social media.
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This is against the law. As an illegal who doesn’t belong in this country landlords have the right to know it. We as Americans in Colorado don’t want to be a sanctuary city! Protecting the illegals is wrong and also against the law! Protecting landlords should be the rule not lawbreakers who don’t belong here!
This is against the law. As an illegal who doesn’t belong in this country landlords have the right to know it. We as Americans in Colorado don’t want to be a sanctuary city! Protecting the illegals is wrong and also against the law! Protecting landlords should be the rule not lawbreakers who don’t belong here! It’s funny that every time we post something that’s against illegals you always tell me that I have posted that before when I haven’t said something about this subject so this is your way of stopping arguments against illegals!