As he campaigned last year for a spot on the Anne Arundel County Council, John J. Grasso said a lot of his constituents had one issue on their minds: illegal immigration.
Grasso, a Glen Burnie Republican who campaigned as an anti-illegal immigration stalwart, intends to press forward with plans for legislation that would prevent Anne Arundel County from being a "safe haven" for illegal immigrants. Grasso is working on legislation that would limit the number of people allowed to live in a single dwelling — a problem, he says, that is directly related to illegal immigrants — and would save the county "tons of money."
"I'm going to blame it on the landlords," said Grasso. "If the landlords were watching their property, there would be no place for them to stay. That would get them the hell out of the county. You gotta be dumber than Forrest Gump to not know what's going on in your property. As long as they pay rent, the landlords are happy. They're turning the other cheek."
Grasso said he has been inundated with complaints from his constituents about illegal immigrants living in his district. Grasso says that large groups of illegal immigrants are living in small apartments and houses in the Glen Burnie area. Capping the number of residents who are not blood relatives living under a single roof would stop the problem, Grasso said, because many illegal immigrants work low-wage jobs and live with several others to afford the rent, turning homes and apartments into "rooming houses," he said.
A representative from Casa de Maryland, an immigrant advocacy group, did not return a call and email seeking comment Thursday.
Grasso said he's still seeking legal guidance on drafting the legislation, and he's drawing inspiration from similar laws passed in jurisdictions throughout Colorado. Grasso said landlords would face a fine for violations.
While states like Arizona and Colorado have taken the lead nationally in passing laws aimed at illegal immigration, Anne Arundel has been at the forefront in Maryland. County Executive John R. Leopold signed an executive order in 2007 preventing anyone who employs illegal immigrants from doing business with the county. In addition, Leopold also instituted a policy that allows the county detention center to check prisoners' immigrations status with federal authorities; the policy has resulted in several deportations.
Leopold, a Republican who has spoken strongly against illegal immigration, said Thursday he would not comment on Grasso's plan without reading the final bill.
Councilman Derek Fink, a Republican from Pasadena, said he would support the legislation.
"We certainly don't want to see Anne Arundel County become a safe haven for illegal immigrants," said Fink. "Just as the county doesn't do business with employers that hire illegal immigrants, I think we need to do the same thing with landlords. We need to crack down on the landlords."
Grasso, himself a landlord, said he has not rented to anyone who is an illegal immigrant, though he acknowledged that does not use the federal government's E-verify system that would help ensure it.
"If I go around and if I see 10 to 15 cars around my house, I'm gonna say, 'What's going on here?' Or if I see sleeping bags on the floor," said Grasso. "They're not checking their property. I watch my property."