December 5, 2007 Morristown City Council Illegal Immigration Resolution #1 (State)

The City of Morristown supports ACTION to reduce illegal immigration.

The following is the text of a Resolution that was introduced and passed unanimously at Morristown City Council yesterday. It will be forwarded to Tennessee State Rep. John Litz and State Sen. Steve Southerland.

[NOTE: A Resolution that will be forwarded to United States Sen. Lamar Alexander, Sen. Bob Corker, and Congressman David Davis also passed. See text on a separate post.]

RESOLUTION NO. ______________BEING a resolution of the City Council for the City of Morristown, Tennessee, petitioning its State Representative and State Senator to introduce and support legislation aimed at reducing the growing population of illegal immigrants being harbored and employed in the City of Morristown.

WHEREAS, the City Council for the City of Morristown, Tennessee, after due consideration, makes the following findings:

1. A significant and growing population of persons reside in, are employed in, or otherwise frequent the City, who have come to, entered or remained in the United States in violation of Federal Immigration Law.

2. The City has finite resources with which to provide public services to its citizens.

3. It is desirable to secure to those lawfully present in theUnited States and the City, regardless of their status as citizens, the right to live in peace, free of the threat of crime, and to enjoy the public services provided by the City without being burdened by the costs of providing goods, support and services to aliens unlawfully present in the United States and the City to the extent these goals can be achieved consistently with the Constitution and laws of the United States and the State of Tennessee.

4. The increasing population of illegal aliens has compromised City and other local resources to provide essential and desirable public services to the citizens of the community, including medical services, law enforcement and public assistance.

5. The unlawful employment, the harboring of illegal ailens in dwelling units in the City of Morristown, and crime committed by illegal aliens harm the health, safety and welfare of authorized United States workers and legal residents in the City of Morristown. Illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, subjects our hospitals to fiscal hardship and legal residents to substandard quality of care, contributes to other burdensome public services, increasing their costs and diminishing their availability to legal residents, and diminishes the overall quality of life within the City.

6. Title 8, sub-section 1324 (a) (1) (A) United States Code prohibits the harboring of illegal aliens. The provision of housing to illegal aliens is a fundamental component of harboring.

7. Title 8, sub-section 1324a(a)(1) United States Code prohibits employment or referral of employment for a fee of unauthorized aliens.

8. Harboring through provision of housing to and employing illegal aliens greatly contributes to the growth of the population of illegal aliens within the City of Morristown and the surrounding community.

WHEREAS, Federal enforcement of the Immigration laws has failed to effectively regulate illegal immigration within the City of Morristown and surrounding community; and

WHEREAS, facing similar circumstances, certain states including Georgia, Arizona, Colorado and Oklahoma have adopted comprehensive legislation aimed at dealing with their growing populations of illegal aliens, a copy of Oklahoma's legislation (HB 1804, effective November 1, 2007) being attached hereto.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council for the City of Morristown, Tennessee, that this local governing body urges its state representative and state senator to introduce and work for passage of legislation similar in substance to Oklahoma's HB 1804.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this Resolution be forewarded to the Honorable John Litz, State Representative, and the Honorable Steve Southerland, State Senator.

Passed in Regular Session of City Council this ____ day ofDecember, 2007.

CITY OF MORRISTOWN, TENNESSEE

BY: ___________________________________ MAYOR

ATTEST:_____________________________________CITY ADMINISTRATOR