Escondido City Council To Vote On Illegal Immigrants Ordinance

ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- The Escondido City Council is set to vote Wednesday on an ordinance that calls for suspending the business licenses of landlords who rent to illegal immigrants, 10News reported.

The proposed ordinance calls for the city to take action, because "the state and federal government lack the resources to properly protect the citizens of the city of Escondido from the adverse effects of the harboring of illegal aliens, and the criminal activities of some illegal aliens," according The San Diego Union-Tribune.

If the ordinance passes, which it is expected to do by a 3-2 margin, Escondido would become the first city in the state to enact such a law, the newspaper reported.

National City Mayor Nick Inzunza is taking the opposite tack. Saturday, he declared the border city a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.

Escondido City Attorney Jeffrey Epp said the proposed ordinance is "entirely consistent with federal law."

The ordinance would rely on informants reporting suspected illegals, the Union-Tribune reported.

Landlords would then be required to submit documents to city officials that show their tenants are legal residents. In the case of a violation, the tenants would need to be out in five days or the landlord could have his or her business license suspended, the Union-Tribune reported.

The proposed Escondido ordinance is similar to one enacted in Hazleton, Penn., earlier this year and is now being challenged in court, the newspaper reported.