Thread: Allentown councilman's proposal on illegal immigrants draws

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Allentown councilman's proposal on illegal immigrants draws fire ...
The Morning Call

By Scott Kraus

July 25, 2006


''We can't just have knee-jerk reactions.
The biggest issue we face is not illegal immigration. It is dealing with poverty.''

ED PAWLOWSKI Allentown mayor Allentown Councilman Louis J. Hershman, saying he wants to protect jobs of legal U.S. residents, is preparing a Hazleton-style ordinance that would penalize city businesses that hire illegal immigrants and landlords who rent to them.

Hershman's version, still in draft form, omits many of the Hazleton Illegal Immigration Relief Act's references connecting illegal immigrants and crime, but contains essentially the same prohibitions and penalties.

If the ordinance is enacted, Allentown would become the largest city in the state to consider such a law. Several other Pennsylvania cities, boroughs and townships, including Hazleton in Luzerne County, Mount Pocono in Monroe County and Frackville in Schuylkill County, have approved or are considering similar legislation.

Other cities across the country, including Palm Bay and Avon Park in Florida, and Escondido and San Bernardino in California, have proposed similar measures.

But Hershman's ordinance could face steep odds of passing. He would need to persuade three others on the seven-member council to vote for the proposal, and might need to find a fifth vote to override a potential veto by Mayor Ed Pawlowski.

Councilman Julio Guridy, who vigorously opposed the Hazleton ordinance passed on July 13, called Hershman's proposal racist, ignorant and embarrassing. He said Hershman was just trying to get attention and that his proposal would polarize the city.

He said the federal government, not Allentown, is responsible for enforcing immigration laws.

''I thought Lou was smarter than that.

I consider that kind of legislation to be racist and mean-spirited and ignorant,'' Guridy said. ''Municipal legislators have no reason, no mandate to be dealing with these issues.''

Hershman said his reasoning is to protect jobs of city residents.

''The people around here, a lot of people I see are out of work, especially in the trades,'' Hershman said. ''They are saying [that is] because there is a lot of non-union labor coming into the area and most of them are illegal immigrants.''

His ordinance contains a section designed to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants.

''The city of Allentown is a diverse city. It is a city that has supported legal immigrants that have come to the city of Allentown. Allentown does not support illegal immigrants who are being rewarded with jobs,'' the draft reads in its introduction.

It is the second time in three months Allentown City Council has tackled a controversial issue related to immigration. In May, council tabled an ordinance that would have removed English as the city's official language.

Pawlowski would not say whether he planned to veto the Hershman proposal if it passes because he had not read it, but he said the city is facing more serious issues, such as overcrowded schools and gang problems.

''We can't just have knee-jerk reactions,'' Pawlowski said. ''The biggest issue we face is not illegal immigration. It is dealing with poverty.''

He said Allentown, with its more than 106,000 residents more than three times the estimated population of Hazleton does not have the resources to monitor or enforce the proposed law.

Last week, a nonpartisan report by the Congressional Research Service determined many aspects of the Hazleton law would be unenforceable, and at least one group has threatened a lawsuit.

Under Hershman's proposal, illegal immigrants would be barred from renting real estate in the city, and landlords could be fined up to $1,000 a day for breaking the prohibition, same as the Hazleton law. But unlike that law, Hershman offers no provision that renters must apply for a residency license.

Also, businesses that hire or assist illegal immigrants would be denied a permit to do business in the city and barred from bidding on city contracts or accepting city grants for five years on the first offense and 10 years on subsequent offenses.

In Hazleton, Republican Mayor Lou Barletta pushed the illegal immigration law and City Council enacted it by a 6-1 vote despite protests from the Hispanic community. But in Allentown, city government appears to have little interest in the law.

Allentown Councilman Martin Velazquez III said he wanted to talk to Hershman and read the legislation before taking a position on it.

''To what extent do we even have jurisdiction?'' Velazquez asked. ''Are there laws already in place? I am not a proponent for repeating laws.

I am not just going to jump one way or the other.''

Councilman Tony Phillips, who proposed repealing Allentown's law that makes English the city's official language, said he preferred to talk to Hershman about the legislation before commenting. However, when asked whether he would support the ordinance, he said, ''Why would I support something like that?''

Council President David M. Howells Sr., and Councilmen David Bausch and Michael D'Amore could not be reached for comment Monday.

Mike Gibson, executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group for non-union companies, said it's not fair for Hershman to blame illegal immigration on non-union contractors.

He said union and non-union contractors have access to the same tools to verify the citizenship of workers.

scott.kraus@mcall.com 610-820-6582 ''I thought Lou was smarter than that. ...

I consider that kind of legislation to be racist and mean-spirited and ignorant.''

JULIO GURIDY Allentown councilman ''Allentown does not support illegal immigrants who are being rewarded with jobs.''

(from introduction to proposed ordinance) LOUIS J. HERSHMAN Allentown councilman

Pawlowski would not say whether he planned to veto the Hershman proposal if it passes because he had not read it, but he said the city is facing more serious issues, such as overcrowded schools and gang problems.

''We can't just have knee-jerk reactions,'' Pawlowski said. ''The biggest issue we face is not illegal immigration. It is dealing with poverty.''

Hmmm, I wonder if Mayor Pawlowski has considered the possibility that the gangs, overcrowded schools, and poverty have a connection to illegal immigration. Why do people like this mayor continue to ignore the facts that are right before their very eyes?