Delegate Pat McDonough plans to file a federal lawsuit against Gov. Martin O?Malley and the General Assembly, saying they have turned Maryland into a haven for illegal immigrants.
O?Malley and the legislature, McDonough said, are violating federal immigration law by “aiding and abetting illegal aliens,” creating a “sanctuary state.”
“The politicians and the governor in the state of Maryland are probably the worst in the country,” said McDonough, R-Baltimore and Harford counties. “Maryland is a lost cause. The politicians in this state sold out to illegals.”
McDonough said he worked with Taneytown City Councilman Paul Chamberlain Jr. to craft a resolution that would have declared the town was not a “sanctuary city” and would not tolerate illegal immigrants.
The bid failed Monday night on a 3-2 vote, but Chamberlain said he got his message across.
“A referendum is always possible,” Chamberlain said. “That?s the will of the people. I can assure you that you will see this resolution at other towns and cities in the state of Maryland.”
McDonough agreed that the fight is far from over.
He said he will file three bills in the General Assembly next week that target illegal immigrants. One would ban companies from employing illegals. One would require a voter ID ? instead of only a driver?s license ? to vote, and one would make English the state?s official language.
“The thing that happened in Taneytown is once again where three knuckleheads stood in the way of what the people want,” McDonough said. “It?s the first inning in a nine-inning ballgame.”
His attempt last year to make English the official language died in the legislature, but he said he will try to put it to a referendum vote in Baltimore County in the fall.
U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a Republican whose district includes Taneytown, said he will continue fighting illegal immigration.
“Illegal aliens are a drain on taxpayers,” Bartlett said. “Sanctuary cities undermine federal laws against illegal immigration and are magnets that attract and reward illegal immigrants with even more taxpayer-paid benefits.”
Some opponents of the Taneytown resolution said immigration enforcement should be left to the federal government. Others complained that the measure?s backers made the town look provincial and unfeeling.
