Baltimore puts out welcome mat for immigrants, hoping to stop population declineAfter decades of seeing the city's population slide with every census count, Baltimore officials are trying to turn things around. One key strategy is embracing immigrants, in the hope they will encourage friends and family to join them.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) has told Latinos, in particular, that she is counting on them to help Baltimore gain 10,000 families within a decade. As a first step, she signed an order in March prohibiting police and social agencies from asking anyone about immigration status -- and in the order, she explicitly asked federal immigration authorities to tell anyone they arrest that they are not agents of the city.
Baltimore joins an increasing number of U.S. cities, most of them manufacturing behemoths fallen on hard times, that are courting immigrants to reverse half a century of population loss.
Thus continuing to ignore the problems and only treat the symptoms: crappy government, high taxes, and crappy schools. Bring in some more democratic voters!
The Global Detroit effort includes programs that help immigrants start small businesses, get driver's licenses and learn English. As part of the Welcome Dayton Plan adopted last year, the Ohio city sponsors a soccer tournament for immigrant teams. Not to be outdone, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) says he wants his home town to be known as the most "immigrant-friendly city in the country."
At least I can now understand the concept behind 'Sanctuary Cities' - more dependent democratic voters!
The welcome mats thrown out by struggling cities and states stand in stark contrast to the reception immigrants have faced in places such as Arizona and Alabama. There, laws requiring police to ask a person's immigration status have raised concerns about racial profiling among many immigrants, whether or not they are in the country legally, and many have left because of the stricter laws, as well as the recession.
In the Washington region, Prince William County saw a drop in its immigrant population, both legal and illegal, after it mandated that police make immigration checks.
An interesting statement. Just how do they know that? Checking immigation status at the airport departure lounge? At the border crossings? Or are they guessing? Ah, Journalism!
Baltimore has undergone a shift in attitude. In 2004, then-Maryland Comptroller William Donald Schaefer (D), a former mayor and governor, chastised immigrants who don't speak English well after a Spanish-speaking cashier at a McDonald's had trouble understanding his order.
"I don't want to adjust to another language," Schaefer said. "This is the United States. I think they ought to adjust to us."
Eight years later, Baltimore and many other
The 2010 census was a tipping point. Most cities that grew had Hispanics and, to a lesser degree, Asians to thank. Cities with few immigrants lost political power and federal money as district lines and funding formulas changed to reflect new census numbers.
I want to thank the WaPo for exposing the root cuase of the problem. Time to send another $50 to the TEA Party!