Maria Elena Salinas: Local, state immigration laws backfire

“It seemed pretty simple at first. If the federal government doesn’t solve the problems brought on by a broken immigration system, then the cities themselves would take the law into their own hands by passing local ordinances that would make life so miserable for undocumented immigrants that they would just get out of town.

That is how dozens of municipalities across the country attempted to unravel the mess. Now some of those cities are rethinking their strategy.

Among those pulling the plug on their anti-immigrant laws is Riverside, N.J. It was the first municipality in the state to enact legislation that would fine anyone who hired or provided housing for an undocumented immigrant.”*

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