Thread: Hispanics flee Pennsylvania town ( Go U-Haul )

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/ ... ckdown.php

Hispanics flee Pennsylvania town in advance of nearing crackdown on illegal immigrants
The Associated Press
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2006
HAZLETON, Pa. Elvis Soto's variety store on Wyoming Street used to make money. But few customers have been walking through his door of late, and his merchandise — calling cards, cell phones, car stereos, clothing — is collecting dust on the shelves.

With bills mounting, Soto might have to take another job to stay afloat financially, and maybe even shutter his store.

This small hillside city in northeastern Pennsylvania has yet to enforce a tough, first-of-its-kind law targeting illegal immigrants, but evidence suggests that many Hispanics — illegal or otherwise — have already left. That has hobbled the city's Hispanic business district, where shops that flourished only six months ago have either closed or are struggling to stay open.

"Before, (Hazleton) was a nice place," said Soto, 27, who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic a decade ago. "Now, we have a war against us. I am legal but I feel the pressure also."

At Isabel's Gifts, business is so bad that owner Isabel Rubio and her husband have put their house up for sale and moved into the apartment above the store because they can no longer afford the mortgage.

"We've dipped into our savings and that's no good," said Rubio, 50, a Colombian who moved to Hazleton 24 years ago. "I am in a lot of stress right now. Every day, we hope to have a good day."

Mayor Lou Barletta, who spearheaded the law, contends illegal immigrants have brought drugs, crime and gangs to the city, overwhelming police and municipal budgets. He announced the crackdown in June, a month after two illegal immigrants from the Dominican Republic were charged with shooting and killing a 29-year-old man.

The ordinance, approved by the City Council last month and scheduled to take effect Wednesday, imposes fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and denies business permits to companies that give them jobs. The law empowers the city's Code Enforcement Office to investigate written complaints about a person's immigration status, using a database operated by the federal government.

Immigrant advocates have vowed a legal battle to overturn the law, calling it divisive, unnecessary and illegal. They say the city should focus instead on preventing crime and catching lawbreakers.

But Barletta said he is convinced the measure will be upheld by the courts. "We're going to fight tooth and nail to be able to enforce the ordinance. It is as bulletproof as we can get it," he said.

An earlier version of the ordinance was scrapped by City Council after the American Civil Liberties Union and Hispanic activists sued, claiming it was discriminatory and that immigration is a federal matter.

Since the Hazleton City Council adopted the original law in July, many municipalities around the nation have approved or considered similar measures aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants.

Hispanics began settling in large numbers in Hazleton several years ago, lured from New York, Philadelphia and other cities by cheap housing, low crime and the availability of work in nearby factories and farms. The city estimates its population has increased from 23,000 to 31,000 over the past six years, with Hispanics now representing 30 percent of the population.

No one knows how many of the new arrivals came to the United States illegally, but assimilating such a large number of people, many of whom speak little English, in such a short amount of time has been difficult.

Support for the mayor among white residents appears to be broad. Many resent the newcomers, complaining about rising crime and overburdened schools. Tensions have flared over relatively minor annoyances such as loud music, ignored traffic laws and double parking.

"You don't like the big-city stuff coming here," said insurance agent Vincent Santopoli, 49, a lifelong resident. "We're not used to it."

Barletta, who has risen from political obscurity to become a darling of anti-illegal immigration activists nationwide, said he sympathizes with struggling Hispanic business owners. But he said the fact their revenues are down is proof the city has a problem with illegal immigration.

"I've said from the beginning my goal was to make Hazleton one of the toughest cities in America for illegal aliens," he said. "Today, if I was an illegal alien, I certainly wouldn't pick Hazleton as my home."

Crime statistics for the last few months are not yet available, but Chief Bob Ferdinand said he has heard from his officers that they are not responding to as many calls. "Things appear to be quieter and appear to have calmed down somewhat," he said.

Somewhat, but not entirely.

On Oct. 20, police say, a legal immigrant from the Dominican Republic shot and killed two Hispanic men, one of whom was in the country illegally, at an intersection on the city's northwest side. The suspect, Miguel A. Abreu, told reporters at his arraignment: "Now I am at peace; I took my enemy down."

Todd Betterly, 37, who was awakened by the gunshots, said the slayings are proof that Barletta's efforts are necessary.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to find out who belongs here and who doesn't," he said. "If we could have stopped one murder by knowing where these people are, isn't it worth it?"

Betterly was referring to a second ordinance, also going into effect Wednesday, that requires tenants to register their name, address and phone number at City Hall and pay $10 (€ for a rental permit. Landlords who fail to make sure their tenants are registered will face a $1,000 (€800) fine, as well as a levy of $250 (€200) per tenant, per day. The goal is to discourage illegal immigrants from even trying to rent in Hazleton.

One illegal immigrant who has remained in the city said he is worried his landlord will boot him out. The immigrant, a 32-year-old Mexican who slipped into the United States nine years ago to find work, said he has no intention of registering his name.

"I'm angry, because I think the mayor doesn't have any feelings," said the married father of two, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of his immigration status. "What is the mayor gaining by this law? I'm not a drug trafficker, I don't run around in gangs. I do my job and I go home to my family."

Rudy Espinal, head of the Hazleton Hispanic Business Association, acknowledged many Hispanics have left the city in recent months, but said it could be that legal immigrants now view Hazleton as unwelcoming and have decided to go elsewhere.

Pennsylvania native Kim Lopez agrees. Lopez and her husband, Rudy, a Mexican immigrant, closed their grocery store on Oct. 1 after business tailed off dramatically over the summer. They lost more than $10,000 (€8,000) — their life savings.

"Everyone was running scared and left town," said Lopez, 39. "We had customers who came in who were legal citizens and they didn't want the harassment and hassle and told us they were leaving."

The Lopezes had lived frugally for five years so they could save enough money to open the Lopez Mexican Store. But their timing was off: They opened in May, just weeks before the exodus began.

"We went without a lot to open this store," Kim Lopez said. "That was our dream and within a few months it was gone, everything."

___

On the Net:

Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund: http://www.prldef.org/

City of Hazleton: http://www.hazletoncity.org/

Hazleton's legal defense site: http://www.smalltowndefenders.com/





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Copyright © 2006 The International Herald Tribune | www.iht.com

These "business owners" would not be in hot water had they been catering to AMERICANS............no matter their heritage!!

el stupido

"Everyone was running scared and left town," said Lopez, 39. "We had customers who came in who were legal citizens and they didn't want the harassment and hassle and told us they were leaving."

Does Mrs. Lopez think we're really naive enough to believe this garbage? American citizens and legal residents who own homes, have children in school, have good jobs, etc. don't just decide to pack up and move because they fear "harassment and hassle" over an ordinance that doesn't even apply to them.

Please, can anyone explain to me why the media is so pro-illegal immigrant? I'm having a difficult time making sense of it. They, and their family's, are impacted by this horrific influx of illegals just like the rest of us.

MW

Please, can anyone explain to me why the media is so pro-illegal immigrant? I'm having a difficult time making sense of it. They, and their family's, are impacted by this horrific influx of illegals just like the rest of us.

The majority of the press/msm, etc. are UN lovers and globalists. They do not value being "American" nor do they value America.

We Are The World -is their mantra. They are fighting for a socialist, humanist eutopia where there is no truth {truth is relative- whatever you think it is} nor is there right & wrong. A homogonized society of peace and brain dead people -------- CITIZENS OF THE WORLD is what they call themselves.

We Are The World -is their mantra. They are fighting for a socialist, humanist eutopia where there is no truth {truth is relative- whatever you think it is} nor is there right & wrong. A homogonized society of peace and brain dead people -------- CITIZENS OF THE WORLD is what they call themselves.

Yeah, but where do they come from? Did little Johnny just wake up one morning telling himself that he was going to be anti-American and pro-globalist? I guess their upbringing by extemely liberal parents had a huge influence. The strong patriotism that used to be enjoyed by much of our population no longer exist. Of course I suspect that the number of 1st generation immigrants have a lot to do with that. It is no secret that our legal immigrant population has been growing a lot since the 1980's, perhaps faster than can be properly assimiliated. I also believe the failure of the majority of our population to serve their country in a meaningful way has something to do with the diluted sense of patriotism we're experiencing. It wasn't that many years ago that a vast part of our population used to serve at least one tour of military service in an active or reserve capacity. Heck, used to be many politicians saw the military or NG as a must have on their resumes (exception, Bill Clinton). Service to country, in one capacity or another, builds patriotic citizens! Of course I'm not saying the military is the only way to serve, but that is one link we're missing today that did contribute to a sense of patriotism.

I don't know what the answer is, but somehow our country must regain that lost sense of patriotism! Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

Oh, and for the record, my ancestors have been serving this country in a military capacity since the Revolutionary War. I served, my father served, as did his father....... and on down the line.

MW

This is simple yet somehow difficult at the same time. So many folks have not connected the factual dots. Don't want to "admit" that they were wrong or that they were asleep at the switch. Others have simply been taught lies and fabrications while facts & truth have been systematically wiped from the records.

It stems from our EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM and the fact that all the communist backed, 60's/70's anti-war activists are now in charge of academia......the academic elitists, to use the now common phrase, media & hollywood.
It only took 3 decades to brainwash 2 generations! To dumb down 2 generations!! To hook 2 generations on drugs.
History is repeating itself - in order to finish the job.

Everything one needs to understand this phenomena is within the
history of the Viet Nam era.

Again......in order to understand one must realize that these SAME PEOPLE
are behind the OPEN BORDERS/AMNESTY. Can you see the connection?
They have been working at ending our US Sovereignty for decades.

.

I agree with everything 2ndamendsis wrote 100%. I will add that the media people are elites who live in an ivory tower. The only contact they probably have with illegals is if they hire them as nannies. They do not live in the neighborhoods that are affected adversely by illegal immigration, nor do their children attend overcrowded public schools. Their jobs are not threatened by them, either. So, they are able to take this "morally superior" attitude of having "compassion" for the "poor immigrants who are only coming here for a better life."

One does wonder what their attitudes would be if their neighborhoods were to be overrun with gangs, their children's safety and education were to be affected, and their jobs put in jeapardy. I'll bet they'd be singing a different tune. Although maybe not.....some people with this mindset are not the most rational.

The legal immigrants, I know of, are very proud to show their green card. That is so much "Bravo Sierra" about legal residents packing up and leaving unless they have a house full of illegal relatives, which is entirely possible.