John Gorena, an opponent of illegal immigration who narrowly won a seat on the council last year, wants the city to expand its use of E-Verify, a federally maintained electronic database system used by the government for large contracts. His proposal is modeled after a program in Mission Viejo, Calif., which became one of the first in the nation to require contractors to check the immigration status of their workers with the government verification system.
The proposal has received a lukewarm reception from other council members.
The Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch has been trying to oust illegal immigrants through a series of ordinances and is involved in costly litigation over an ordinance banning illegal immigrants from renting apartments.
Lewisville is about 24 miles northwest of Dallas.
