Voters in Farmers Branch strongly favored an ordinance that would make the city the first in the nation to prohibit landlords from renting apartments to most illegal immigrants.
With all precincts reporting Saturday, 67.6 percent of voters approved Ordinance 2903, while 32.4 were against.
City Council member Tim O’Hare, the driving force behind the ordinance, said he expects other cities to follow suit, and offered to lend them a hand. The ordinance was pushed by Mr. O’Hare, who tried to strike a chord with voters with his assertions that illegal immigrants are having a negative impact on neighborhoods, crime, property values and schools.
The fiery debate that drew charges of racism on both sides and thrust Mr. O’Hare, a native of the city, and Farmers Branch into the national spotlight. The turnout was so large that Dallas County set up seven locations for voting today; usually the city has only one polling place.
If approved by voters, it’s unlikely that the ordinance, which would go into effect on May 22, would be enforced anytime soon. Opponents, who outspent supporters of the ordinance more than 7-1 during the campaign, vowed renewed court challenges this week seeking injunctions against enforcement.
