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  1. #1
    Senior Member Virginiamama's Avatar
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    Puerto Rican Legal Defense Education Fund sue Hazelton

    http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... 50345/1006

    Group challenges Pa. immigrant law

    By RICHARD PEARSALL
    Courier-Post Staff

    A civil rights group plans to file suit today against the Hazleton, Pa., ordinance that served as a model for Riverside's attempt to crack down on illegal immigrants.

    "We plan to file tomorrow morning," John Garcia, a spokesman for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, said of his group's anticipated legal challenge to the Hazleton ordinance, which inspired Riverside and a dozen other communities across the country to enact similar ordinances.

    "We haven't forgotten about Riverside," Garcia said. "We're just getting to Hazleton first."

    The local ordinances prohibit landlords from renting to illegal immigrants and employers from hiring them and declares English the "official" -- and only -- language to be used by municipal officials.

    Riverside Mayor Charles Hilton estimates between 1,500 and 3,000 undocumented immigrants live in his town, which recorded a population of just less than 8,000 in the 2000 census.

    The ordinances are intended to deal with a problem U.S. immigration officials either cannot or will not address, local officials say.

    "If they have issues with illegal immigration," Garcia said, "the towns should urge the federal government to overhaul its immigration policy."

    The Hazleton approach violates the U.S. Constitution, the civil rights group argues in its suit, Garcia said.

    First, the ordinance infringes on the federal government's exclusive power to regulate immigration, the suit will argue.

    Second, by handing employers and landlords the job of enforcement, the ordinance violates due process guarantees.

    Finally, through its English-only rule, the ordinance impedes the First Amendment right of citizens to petition their government.

    Riverside Mayor Charles Hilton had no comment Monday on the anticipated suit against Hazleton.

    Hilton described his town's ordinance as a "work in progress" and said township officials have yet to meet to iron out enforcement details.

    He said he was not aware of any specific enforcement actions taken by police or the township's housing code enforcement officer.

    Neither the chief of police nor the code enforcement officer could be reached for comment Monday.

    Reach Richard Pearsall at (856) 486-2465 or rpearsall@courierpostonline.com
    Published: August 15. 2006 3:10AM
    Equal rights for all, special privileges for none. Thomas Jefferson

  2. #2
    gingerurp's Avatar
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    That stinks. This Puerto rican group suing so that the town has to get overrun with illegals and can do nothing about it. I hope Hazelton gets some good lawyers and takes them down.

  3. #3
    Senior Member fedupinwaukegan's Avatar
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    stance?

    I haven't read any articles as to whether these suits have a leg to stand on. I VERY much want to know as I'm trying to convince my town to look at a illegal alien ordinance. They will run a mile if they hear this -they were sued years ago for getting illegals out -and lost.

    Is Judical Watch stepping up? Are lawyers offering to help Hazleton pro bono (I read that in one article)?

    Frustrating...
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  4. #4

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    This madness makes sick to my stomach

    If you want to protect the sovereignty of the United States of America, then you are the racist. THe ACLU and all those groups should be hold accountable for all the crimes that illegals are committing with impunity in this country. When is this going to end for crying out loud?
    "Ask not what your country can do for you --ask what you can do for your country" John F. Kennedy

  5. #5
    Senior Member gofer's Avatar
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    First, the ordinance infringes on the federal government's exclusive power to regulate immigration, the suit will argue
    They are NOT regulating immigration!! It seems to me to be a hiring practices and housing practices issue. If these laws get knocked down, it's going to anger a lot of citizens who will begin to feel "trapped." And that's not good!

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