Following in the footsteps of other towns across the country, Escondido, California has decided to write discrimination into its laws by forbidding landlords to rent to undocumented immigrants. But our friends at the ACLU and a coalition of immigrants rights groups are striking back:

Saying the law is “riddled with constitutional flaws” and is discriminatory and “reprehensible,” a coalition of civil rights groups has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to void an Escondido ordinance that forbids landlords from renting to illegal immigrants.

The suit was filed yesterday on behalf of two Escondido landlords and two illegal immigrants who live in the city and whose children are U.S. citizens who attend local schools.

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, the decision to move forward with the lawsuit was announced last week via press conference, while the Minutemen held an “unrelated” press conference at the Escondido city hall, “interrupted by a minor scuffle”.

The ACLU suit maintains that

…because the ordinance will mostly affect Latinos and other minorities, the lawsuit also maintains that it is in violation of multiple state and federal fair housing and anti-discrimination laws.

Two plaintiffs in the suit, Roy and Mary Garrett, are a couple who own rental property and say they refuse to question rental applicants as to their legal status:

“Escondido is a nice place,” Roy Garrett said. “It was created and is maintained in part by people who are illegal.”

Garrett said he and his wife feel it is “100 percent immoral” to hire illegal immigrants and to benefit from the fruits of their labor, but then to tell them they can’t live in the city where they work.

“I don’t ask what their legal status is when I rent to people and I won’t ever ask,” he said.

The city ordinance will go into effect on the 17th of this month.

Via / San Diego Union-Tribune