On December 26, 2006 the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Texas (ACLU), along with the ACLU's National Immigrants' Rights Project, filed a civil rights suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ...
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On December 26, 2006 the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Texas (ACLU), along with the ACLU's National Immigrants' Rights Project, filed a civil rights suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas against the City of Farmers Branch, challenging the City's recently adopted Ordinance 2892. The Ordinance required landlords to verify the U.S. Citizenship or "eligible immigration status" of prospective tenants prior to renting them apartments.
This case is one of four lawsuits filed against Farmers Branch in response to its anti-immigrant housing law. See
IM-TX-0002,
IM-TX-0003 and
IM-TX-0004.
Plaintiffs filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief. On January 11, 2007, the District Court (Judge Sam Lindsay) temporarily denied plaintiffs' motion as moot in light of a TRO being issued against the City in the state court case Ramos v. City of Farmers Branch (
IM-TX-0004).
On January 18, 2007, the parties entered into a stipulation wherein defendant's counsel agreed to review and reconsider Ordinance 2892. Pending that review, defendant agreed not to attempt to enforce Ordinance 2892 or any like ordinance without first giving plaintiffs notice to allow them to renew their motion for a TRO.
Plaintiffs filed their status report on January 24, 2007, advising the District Court that defendant had repealed Ordinance 2892 but enacted Ordinance 2903, which imposed similar stringent citizenship requirements. The parties were to meet and confer on January 25, 2007 to discuss the new Ordinance and thereafter advise the District Court of further planned action.
On March 22, 2007, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint against the City challenging the new ordinance.
On April 18, 2007, this case was consolidated with lead case Villas at Parkside Partners v. City of Farmers Branch (IM-TX-0003) and Barrietos v. City of Farmers Branch (IM-TX-0002). See
IM-TX-0003 for all subsequent developments.
Christopher Schad - 06/06/2012
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