By Perla Chavez
SACRAMENTO, CA – A fair housing settlement against a property owner accused of threatening a family with deportation and eviction was released by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) in a statement released last week.
According to the announcement, California law prohibits housing providers from frightening tenants by threatening to share their immigration status with law enforcement.
The CRD said the property owner has to complete fair housing training and pay the family $30,000 in compensation.
The CRD received a complaint against the property owner of a three-bedroom house in Oxnard, in November 2022 for allegedly discriminating on the basis of the tenant’s citizenship status, the statement explains.
The CRD statement reveals a three-day eviction notice indicating the family would be removed from the premises by the sheriff’s office and handed over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation if the family did not move out of the property.
Under the assumption the family were not U.S. citizens, the notice wrongfully stated they were not protected by U.S. laws, explained the CRD, noting immigration status is among the protected characteristics that protects tenants from eviction, being charged higher rent, and other adverse housing actions.
According to the CRD, unless an immigration status inquiry is related to affordable housing funded by the federal government, California law prohibits housing providers from asking. However, the family was still threatened with deportation and were forced to move from their home.
The matter was referred to the department’s Dispute Resolution Division for mediation after the CRD investigated the complaint and determined there was sufficient evidence discrimination had occurred, the CRD reports.
The division in CRD offers complimentary impartial mediation services aimed at resolving disputes and addressing discrimination complaints. Annually, it resolves hundreds of complaints, leading to policy changes and providing millions of dollars in direct relief to affected Californians, the CRD writes.
The CRD said, as noted in the settlement, the property owner has agreed to pay $30,000 in compensation, complete civil rights training, refrain from future discrimination, and inform future tenants of their rights under the Fair Employment and Housing Act.
Kevin Kish, CRD Director said that “despite our state’s robust protections, we know that immigrants regularly face unlawful threats, whether it’s in housing, employment, or other aspects of our daily lives. In California, the law is clear that landlords cannot threaten to report their tenants to immigration authorities to pressure them to move out.”
Kish adds, “All Californians have the right to fair housing regardless of their immigration status or national origin. If you come forward and report, we will do everything in our power to support you. Every report makes a difference.”
