Following the law is now against the law in California if you are a landlord. The Immigrant Tenant Protection Act was passed on Thursday, making it illegal for landlords to discriminate against potential renters on the bases of immigration status, despite the fact that renting to illegals is a crime itself.
The sponsor of the bill said that it is necessary to protect immigrants from the Trump administration, conveniently leaving out the fact that illegals shouldn’t be in the United States to begin with. Most specifically, it prevents landlords from threatening and reporting to federal agents as a way to get unwanted tenants out of the building.
The bill was introduced by Democratic Assemblyman David Chiu of San Francisco, who cited Trump’s non-existent war on immigrants.
“Tenants should not have to live in fear simply because they are immigrants or refugees. Trump’s escalating war on immigrants is ripping apart families and mass deportations could be our new reality,” he said.”This bill will deter the small minority of landlords who unscrupulously take advantage of the real or perceived immigration status of their tenants to engage in abusive acts.”
California state law already prevents landlords from asking potential tenants about their immigration status (have I mentioned that it’s illegal to rent to an illegal immigrant?), but this law makes it illegal to use their status against them as leverage.
“AB 291 makes clear that immigration status should not be used as leverage against tenants by landlords who want to profit off of slum conditions or unlawfully evict families to take advantage of rising rents,” said Western Center on Law & Poverty advocate Jith Meganathan. She went on to parrot the lie that Trump is making it harder for immigrants to live in peace in the United States.
I’m sorry, but I was under the impression that criminals should be living in fear. They should be concerned about breaking the laws, which is the main thing that prevents people from breaking said laws. Why do you not speed in a school zone? You’re worried about getting pulled over and receiving a fine higher than normal. That, and nobody wants to hit a kid walking to class, which is also a crime. Laws exist to protect people and prosecute criminals who put lives and livelihoods at risk. Now we’re making laws that renders other (just) laws void? Is that the country you want to live in?