Outspoken illegal-immigrant foe brings campaign to island today
By MICHAEL WELLES SHAPIRO
mshapiro@islandpacket.com
843-706-8142
Published Monday, August 4, 2008


One of the most prominent figures in the country's anti-illegal immigration movement, Hazleton, Pa., Mayor Lou Barletta, is visiting Hilton Head Island to raise money for his U.S. House

campaign.

He will speak today before a local group of Republicans as he tries raise cash to unseat a long-time Democratic congressman.

In 2006, Barletta was in the national spotlight defending a Hazleton ordinance targeting illegal immigrants. The ordinance punished landlords who rented to illegal immigrants and employers who hired them. While the measure was eventually struck down as unconstitutional by a U.S. District judge, Barletta gained a national following thanks to appearances on TV news shows, including CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight."

The Hazleton ordinance also was borrowed by several local governments, including Beaufort County.

Though the Beaufort County Council decided not to include the language dealing with landlords and renters, in late 2006, it approved a measure allowing the county to audit employment records to discourage the hiring of illegal immigrants.

Barletta has been criticized by civil liberties groups and by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund, a group which opposed both Hazleton and Beaufort County's anti-illegal immigration measures.

But for all the critics, Barletta also has won fans across the country and earnedname recognition within the House district represented by Democratic Rep. Paul Kanjorski since 1985.

With the Republicans on the defensive in a number of House races across the country, and with most Democratic House members considered shoe-ins in 2008, Republicans are hoping that Barletta can buck the national trend.

Which is why the Hilton Head Island 1st Monday Republican Lunch Group invited him to speak at noon today at its regular luncheon at Aunt Chiladas restaurant.

In an e-mail advertising the event, county Republican Party treasurer Tom Hatfield wrote that Barletta "has a serious chance of defeating a Democrat incumbent."

"Every possible opportunity to defeat Democrats, especially incumbents, should be fully supported," the e-mail said. "While Republicans may not win back the House in 2008, it is vitally important that we win every possible seat that we can."

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