good news from
The Washington Post This was a thinly disguised attempt to "keep out the darkies"
Manassas Residency Limit Was Seen by Some as Anti-Immigrant
By Stephanie McCrummen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 5, 2006; Page B05
Manassas has suspended enforcement of an ordinance that makes it illegal in most cases for extended relatives such as aunts, uncles and cousins to live together as a family, city officials said yesterday.
The City Council is considering its options, including the possibility of repealing the ordinance, which was overwhelmingly affecting Latino residents and has been harshly criticized in recent days by civil rights and fair housing groups.
"Our responsibility is to protect the safety, health and well being of our citizens," council member J. Steven Randolph (I) said after a meeting with the city manager last night. "But how we do that is limited by a number of factors. We are sworn, and rightfully so, to support the state and federal constitution, and we have to make sure that what we do is reasonable and not arbitrary."