News Summary

SPRINGBORO — An incident last summer, in which a Miami Valley man allegedly was killed by a Mexican man or men without Social Security numbers, American citizenship or any legal basis for U.S. employment, is sparking a campaign to change laws that allow illegal immigrants to live and work in America.

Tonight, Citizens for Legal Communities will press Mason City Council to pass local laws fining or criminally charging employers or landlords of illegal immigrants. Next month, the group will bring its campaign to a Springboro City Council meeting.

Bill Barnhill helped found the Warren County-based group after his son Kevin was killed last August. At least one of

Kevin Barnhill's accused killers lived in a Mason apartment and worked for a Fairfield roofer.

And one of the men, Enrique Torres, is a Mexican who has eluded authorities.

Barnhill's father wants to close the legal loopholes that aided Torres.

"Nobody wants to do anything," Barnhill said. "Maybe I can prevent somebody else from being killed."

Despite appeals to state and federal lawmakers, the group's campaign so far has failed to prompt action.

Other communities weighing immigration laws are watching a federal lawsuit brought against the city of Hazelton, Pa., over its new laws aimed at landlords renting to illegal immigrants and designating English as the city's official language.

Advocates for employers and landlords point to problems enforcing such laws. State lawmakers question whether federal immigration laws passed since Sept. 11, 2001, preempt state or local initiatives.

Other observers encourage caution, pointing to the role immigrant populations play in America's globalized economy, particularly in booming home-building markets.

None of this deterred

Harriet Tucker, who contacted her neighbor, Springboro

Mayor John Agenbroad, on behalf of Citizens for Legal Communities.

"Somebody is finally doing something," Tucker said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or

lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.