DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Farmers Branch city attorneys have asked the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to rehear their case supporting the city’s controversial immigration law.

The attorneys feel the three judge panel that voted it down last month did not represent the full 16 member court.
 The city has asked that the full court be present to hear the case.

Mayor Bill Glancy says the law, which bans illegal immigrants from renting property in Farmers Branch, is still necessary to protect the city.

“A lot of the businesses in the area have encouraged people to come here illegally and give them jobs,” Glancy said. “We’ve had case after case they will buy or rent a house and they will just use it as an apartment for the workers who are here illegally and it’s just a very dangerous situation.”

Under the proposed ordinance, landlords who rent to illegal immigrants would also face stiff penalties.

When the law was voted down by the panel, a majority of the judges said they felt immigration should be left up to the federal government. Glancy says the city made the ordinance, however, because the federal government wasn’t doing its job.

“Sixty-seven percent of folks voted that they wanted to enact this ordinance, so the council reacted to this request,” Glancy said. “We’re responsive to the citizens of our community unlike so many government agencies, I guess.”

The city of Farmers Branch has spent nearly $5 million on immigration-related lawsuits since this one was introduced five years ago.

Glancy said the city is willing to take the ordinance all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary.

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