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Courts have consistently upheld English-only rulings by governments, UNT political scientist says
On Monday, the Farmers Branch City Council voted unanimously to pass ordinances aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and making English the city’s official language. The ordinances will require city officials to conduct nearly all official business in English, prohibit landlords from renting apartments to people who cannot prove their citizenship or legal status and have city police enter into a cooperative agreement with federal immigration officials to target "criminal aliens." Anti-illegal immigration activists in Arlington and Fort Worth have said they will push for similar measures in their cities. Although members of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund have said that these ordinances violate federal law, Dr. Kimi King, University of North Texas associate professor of political science, said provisions making English an official language "have been upheld consistently by the courts, although not without challenge." "The government has to clearly specify what its interest is in seeking to protect English as the official language," she said, adding that some courts have ruled that failure to provide benefits or services in foreign languages does not constitute discrimination on the basis of national origin under Title VI of the Civil Rights law because equating a person's language with the person's national origin has no basis in law or fact. King says the larger issue for city councils passing anti-illegal immigration ordinances "is not a legal issue, but a political one." "A city has to weigh legal issues with political issues, realizing that Spanish-speaking businesses may decide to go elsewhere," she said. King may be reached at: Mobile phone: (940) 597-4802
kking@unt.edu
UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Nancy Kolsti (940) 565-3509
Email: nkolsti@unt.edu
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