An Immigration Test

posted by Josh Goodman

Farmer's Branch, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, is home to one of the more novel attempts by a locality to crack down on illegal immigrants. Last year, the city approved a rule that requires landlords to verify that their tenants are in the U.S. legally. The ordinance is currently being held up in court.

Tomorrow, the author of that rule, Tim O'Hare, will square off in the Farmer's Branch mayoral race with Gene Bledsoe, whose supporters include the local apartment association and other critics of the ordinance. So, consider this one small test of the salience of immigration as a campaign issue.