New mayor in Dallas suburb to target illegal immigrants

CARROLLTON, Texas (AP) - A newly elected mayor near Dallas says his top priority will be ridding his suburb of illegal immigrants, the same focus that has drawn national attention in a neighboring city.

But Ron Branson said Carrollton will not simply copy the blueprint of Farmers Branch, where an ordinance barring apartment rentals to most illegal immigrants has been put on hold by a federal judge.

"I do not want to rubber-stamp what they did," Branson said in Monday's editions of The Dallas Morning News. "We want to make sure we're not profiling, we're following the law, and take advantage of ordinance opportunities."

The victory by Branson in Saturday's election gives Dallas neighboring suburbs with mayors who share a common goal of driving out illegal immigrants in their cities.

Voters in Farmers Branch on Saturday elected Tim O'Hare, who as a city councilman pushed for one of the country's most sweeping anti-illegal immigration measures by a local government.

Farmers Branch residents endorsed a rental ban 2-to-1 last May, but enforcement of the ordinance has been blocked by a federal judge until legal challenges are resolved. Branson said Carrollton should not implement similar ordinance now, but should be prepared to do so if courts clear the way.

Brandon said he also planned to visit regularly with O'Hare, who said he welcomed the meetings.

Allan Saxe, political science professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, said the election of the two new mayors shows that illegal immigration continues to resonate with voters.

But Saxe said he doesn't believe the elections will effect much change because the cities are already availing themselves of available federal programs.

"I don't think it will have great reverberations outside the area, except those members of Congress that represent those areas will take notice of it," Saxe said.