TailOverTeaKettle.com

Last night the Cherokee County (GA) Commission unanimously approved prohibition of renting property to illegal immigrants. In the days leading up to the meeting, it seemed that the biggest threat being made was from opponents who threatened to bring lawsuits challenging the rules and thereby costing the county significant money in legal fees if they should lose. At one point this even prompted speculation whether they would let lawsuits already pending against other communities play out to see who would win and pay the bills. But in the end, they did not waiver.

It is still fairly moderate in it’s approach:

The ordinance targeting tenants covers landlords who rent property in unincorporated parts of Cherokee. It does not apply to cities, such as Canton and Woodstock, which have the majority of rental properties in the county, nor does it apply to existing leases.

Earlier I posted questioning exactly how the landlords would be expected to verify and validate a tenant’s immigration status. According to the AJC, the county also is joining a federal program to help do just that.

In addition, English was also designated as the official language and the county made it manditory to check immigration status before receiving public benefits.

The lawsuit threats continued:

A lawsuit is likely to come in Cherokee, warned Jamie B. Hernan, an attorney with offices in metro Atlanta and Tampico, Mexico.

The county “will incur legal fees, and they will pay legal fees incurred by tenants,” said Hernan, who is working with the American Civil Liberties Union. “County government cannot pass immigration law.”

UPDATE: 11 Alive has the money quote resulting from the passage of all of these measures:

“They trampled all over immigrants tonight, it was spin the wheel on immigrant bashing in Cherokee County,” said Jerry Gonzalez, Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.