Texas Town Moves to Ban Property Owners from Renting to Illegal Aliens

The citizens of Farmers Branch, Texas, approved a measure this past Saturday that prohibits landlords from renting to illegal immigrants. The ordinance will require that persons wishing to lease an apartment in that Dallas suburb to prove they are a U.S. citizen. While seemingly a good idea to combat illegal immigrants from setting down roots in our communities, at least for a true conservative property-rights perspective, it is not a good idea at all. The prohibition on renting property sets a terrible precedent for government control over the right of property owners to rent to whoever they choose (so long, obviously, as they do not unconstitutionally discriminate). The Texas proposal runs roughshod over property rights, and forces property owners to do what government has proved incapable of or unwilling to do – stop illegal immigration.