Pomona : Ban on Alien Raids Sought
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The City Council, by a 3-2 vote, has asked the federal government to impose a moratorium on mass raids of illegal aliens while the 1990 Census is under way.
Councilwoman Nell Soto said the moratorium would “reduce the suspicions and fear” that immigrants harbor toward government agencies and would result in a more complete count.
Mayor Donna Smith voted with Soto and Councilman Tomas Ursua to ask for a moratorium on sweeps of illegal aliens, but Smith said she doubts that the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service will pay attention.
Councilmen C. L. (Clay) Bryant and Mark A. T. Nymeyer voted against the measure. Bryant strongly criticized it, saying: “Personally, I don’t want our U.S. government counting illegal aliens.” He said many “undocumented people are not here to pick our apples and oranges, which they do a good job at, but to sell drugs, more or less.”
Soto said illegal aliens work and pay taxes and should be counted in the census.
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