Council fails to oppose immigration reform bill

CITY HALL ? A resolution that would have resulted in Glendale's official opposition to a controversial immigration reform bill now winding through Congress failed to garner enough votes to pass Tuesday night.

The resolution, which was suggested by Mayor Rafi Manoukian, would have partnered the city with Los Angeles, which recently passed a similar resolution against House Resolution 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act. The bill, proposed by Reps. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin and Peter King of New York, would require local police agencies to take on immigration enforcement duties and would make it a felony for anyone to assist illegal immigrants through counseling, employment assistance or other charitable programs.

The law would also require construction of dozens of miles of additional fencing at various points along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The legislation has passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Committee Chairman Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is in the process of writing his own version of the legislation, said Elaine Aguilar, assistant to City Manager Jim Starbird.

"[Senate Majority Leader] Bill Frist is also circulating his version of the legislation, so at this point it is too early to tell what the final bill will look like," Aguilar said.

Because of this, the bill will likely be stuck in committee until at least late April, according to the city's Washington lobbyist, said City Atty. Scott Howard.

But in its current incarnation, the bill would make city-sponsored endeavors like the day laborer center on San Fernando Road illegal, Glendale resident Barry Allen said.

Cardinal Roger Mahoney, who heads the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, has already instructed all clergy and lay workers under his charge to disobey the law if it is passed. Catholic Charities runs the city's day laborer center.

"I would suggest to the council that you indeed monitor this bill," Allen said. "They are talking about little things, like being deported for getting a DUI, heinous little things. It would be another Patriot Act."

Such additional duties would tax the city's police force, said Glendale resident Rafael Zamora.

"Our police force is not here to be looking for the undocumented," said Zamora, who urged the council to approve the resolution. "They have a job of finding criminals, bank robbers, not to investigate who is illegal or not."