An Idaho county is looking into applying racketeering law to fight illegal immigration:

BOISE, Idaho -- Canyon County commissioners are considering whether they can use a federal law designed to target organized crime to sue local businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

The commissioners, led by Robert Vasquez, agreed Friday to pay a Chicago lawyer $2,500 to look into the feasibility of a lawsuit based on that law.

"I know that there are companies hiring illegal aliens because they make applications for welfare and tell us where they are working," Vasquez said. By going after companies under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, Vasquez hopes he can force companies to cover the county's costs for things such as indigent medical care.

"The cost has to be measured against the outlay of tax dollars in all capacities. By that, I mean the county is currently expending $900,000 a year for illegal aliens in our county jail alone," Vasquez said. "Ultimately a lawsuit could be a moneysaving move. If nothing else, it certainly enforces the law of the land, which I am bound by oath to do."

The American-born Vasquez has said he is of Mexican, Spanish and French descent.

Well, we can see how the left will attack Vasquez--they'll call him a "race traitor" and hope to intimidate him.

RICO has been applied to illegal immigration cases before, with mixed results:

Foster said he would likely send a memo to commissioners in the next few weeks with his advice on the feasibility of a RICO Act lawsuit. In the past seven years, Foster has brought five such lawsuits against companies around the nation.

But the pending lawsuits -- against Tyson Foods in Tennessee, against Mohawk Carpets in Georgia, against Zirkle Fruit Co. in Washington -- have all been brought on behalf of employees who claim the use of undocumented workers is lowering wages. Another suit, against IBP, formerly called Iowa Beef Processors, was thrown out in Illinois, and a lawsuit against a Connecticut cleaning company was resolved out of court. Foster said he doesn't know of any RICO Act case that has been filed on behalf of a county or other government agency.

Canyon County's claim may hinge on why illegal immigrants have settled in the area -- whether to work, be with family or for other reasons.

"The county isn't suing regarding wages. They've asked me to write a memo and tell them whether they have standing under RICO to recoup costs the county has incurred for illegal immigrants," Foster said. "There are definitely limits -- the law can only go so far. And the courts around the country have been pretty tough in saying who has standing and who does not."

Commissioner Vasques seems to be one of the good guys in the local-level fight against illegal immigration. Let's hope he succeeds in this effort.

(thanks to Chris)