http://www.pittsburghlive.com

'Our Town' no more
By Dimitri Vassilaros
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, August 21, 2006

Illegal aliens are spreading throughout America after skipping across the border with Mexico. And because of that, every town in this republic could be a border town. Except in Hawaii.

The absolute lawlessness encouraged by President George W. Bush is the magnet that draws the illegal aliens. But what happens when a municipality is inundated with illegals? Tom Fitton is spreading the word that someday soon, every town could be Los Angeles. Mr. Fitton is president of Judicial Watch, a nonpartisan educational foundation that fights government corruption.

The federal issue of border security quickly becomes a local one when the feds refuse to enforce the law, Fitton says. Local law enforcement agencies in Everytown, USA, are forced to respond.

But some respond by declaring their cities sanctuaries for illegals.

Local governments even prohibit their own police forces from inquiring about an individual's immigration status or cooperating with federal immigration officials. They happily wash their hands absolving themselves of any responsibility by claiming illegal immigration is a federal problem. Just like what L.A. has been doing since 1979 when it instituted Special Rule 40.

However, federal government documents indicate both claims are not true. The 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) allows Homeland Security to work with state and local law authorities to receive immigration enforcement training.

And as for local and state law enforcement not being allowed to work with the feds, Fitton rattles off crimes such as illegal drugs, bank robbery and kidnapping that local authorities are not prevented from helping the feds fight.

"There is no other area of (federal) law that we cannot do anything about," he said. "That's just craziness."

Your town could be next. If that happens (or maybe it has happened without your knowledge) please go online to www.judicialwatch.org for rescue.

The Judicial Watch lawsuit to overturn L.A.'s Special Rule 40 is in the discovery phase in Superior Court of Los Angeles County.

When a city has a critical mass of people who do not want the law enforced, even tough-as-nails former police Chief Daryl Gates supported it.

If Los Angeles had critical mass then, as Special Rule 40 suggests, what does it have after Dubya's virtually open-border policy now?

There obviously is nothing wrong if a population that happens to be Hispanic, Greek or whatever that is here legally prefers to celebrate its ethnicity. But there is when a critical mass of illegals help reshape local life.

The L.A. metro area has roughly 10 million citizens. About 12 percent of illegals in America live there, according to Michael D. Antonovich, Los Angeles county supervisor. And with roughly 11 million illegals here, there probably are about 1.3 million of them in L.A.

According to the Arbitron rating service, there are 11 radio stations in the area with Spanish formats but only one playing country music. That critical mass of illegals probably is a significant factor.

The 1.3 million also might explain L. A.'s don't-ask, don't-tell policy about illegals, and the masses with Mexican flags that march in parades demanding amnesty for illegals -- amnesty right now.

Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" won't be ours for much longer, assuming it still is.

Dimitri Vassilaros can be reached at dvassilaros@tribweb.com or 412-380-5637.