This week, the city of Farmers Branch , Texas unanimously approved strict anti-immigration legislation.  The Dallas Morning News reports that Farmers Branch ’s city council, in a series of 6-0 votes, approved English as the town’s official language, approved fines for landlords that deal with illegal immigrants, and decided to allow local authorities to screen suspects in police custody to see whether they are in the country illegally.  With these votes, the Dallas suburb has become the first Texas municipality to enact strong anti-immigration laws.  

Such resistance to illegal immigration troubles many in the state, in which many Latinos can trace their roots to an era before Texas statehood.  Supports say the ordinances are vital because the federal government has failed to address the problem of undocumented immigration.  However, critics of the legislation argue that such proposals could lead to sanctioned discrimination and racism.