Border Mayors Take Homeland Security To Court Over The Fence

The Texas Border Coalition, a grouping of mayors along the Mexican border, business owners and community groups, have filed a class action suit against Secretary Michael Chertoff of Homeland Security to stop progress on the fence. The suit charges, as reported in the Arizona Republic, to have "hoodwinked landowners into waiving their property rights for the construction of the fence. . ." Their lawyer, Peter Schey, claimed that Homeland Security did not properly advise landowners of their rights. The landowners were under-compensated as well.

. . . . MISSOURI PUTS PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP FOR VOTING ON HOLD
The Missouri legislature adjourned with out passing a constitutional amendment to require proof of citizenship to vote. It was passed in the state house, but no action was taken in the senate before the end of the session. The NY Times reported that strong voices from around the state opposed the measure and may have scuttled it. There was no real real threat of non-citizens flooding into the polling places. Rather Republicans, playing on the anti-immigrant frenzy, proposed the measure to discourage the poor and elderly, who more likely vote Democratic, from going to the polls. (See post for May 12, 2008.)


. . . HELPFUL RESOURCE ON IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network posts a list on proposed legislation on immigration. It covers national, state and local.