Thread: Rights groups sue Pennylvania town on immigrant law

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2194319

Rights groups sue Pennylvania town on immigrant law
Reuters
PHILADELPHIA - A Pennsylvania town that passed one of the toughest immigration laws in the United States this week overstepped its authority, said a civil-liberties group which announced plans on Friday to sue.

The city council of Hazleton, a former coal-mining town of some 31,000 people, late on Thursday passed a measure that will deny a business permit to anyone hiring illegal immigrants.

It also imposes a $1,000 fine on any landlord who rents to illegal immigrants, and establishes English as the town's official language.

The ordinance states that illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, overcrowded classrooms and failing schools, imposes a financial burden on hospitals and reduces the quality of other public services in the town.

Hazleton boomed under a wave of Eastern European immigrants in the late 1800s, and has experienced a surge of Hispanic immigration in recent years.

The townspeople are suffering from "the debilitating effects on their economic and social well being imposed by the influx of illegal aliens," the regulation says, and the city has the authority to punish those who aid illegal aliens.

A coalition including the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, which represents U.S. Latinos on immigration issues, say they will sue Hazleton in federal court.

Lee Llambelis, legal director of the Fund, said the suit will argue that the ordinance erodes the federal government's power to regulate immigration.

"The immigration issue can't be solved on a town-by-town basis," she told Reuters.

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta said an influx of illegal immigrants has burdened the town's budget and he vowed to fight the suit. "We will fight them in court. I can't sit back and watch our city being destroyed."

Barletta told Reuters that since the ordinance passed he has received about 8,000 e-mails of support sent from every U.S. state.

Llambelis said similar regulations have been proposed by San Bernardino, California and Avon Park, Florida, but that she believes Hazleton is the first city to have enacted such a law. Thus, civil liberties groups view the suit as a test case.

"The law pits neighbor against neighbor and only serves to heighten tension with Hispanics in the town," she said. About 30 percent of Hazleton's population is Latino, up from around 5 percent in 2000.

At least 57 immigration-related bills have been passed by U.S. state legislatures in 2006, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.

A recent influx of Hispanic immigrants to South Philadelphia prompted the Italian-American owner of Geno's Cheese Steaks, a renowned local eatery, to put up a sign demanding that customers order in English.

The city of Philadelphia is challenging the sign.

In Colorado, a new law prohibits state agencies from working with contractors who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. An Oklahoma law requires anyone wanting to become a police officer to produce proof of U.S. citizenship.

The two houses of the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress are trying to reconcile starkly different immigration bills.

A bill passed by the House of Representatives focuses on cracking down on illegal immigration. A Senate bill would bolster enforcement and provide a way for illegal immigrants to become citizens.

Barletta told a Philadelphia hearing of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last week that Hazleton's ordinance had been introduced in response to two murders in the town committed by illegal immigrants.

The ACLU and the Puerto Rican defense should take up a pity fund and pay for all the services these illegal aliens burden the poor tax payers on this town and the rest of the nation!

Where are OUR RIGHTS ACLU and all defense groups?! Why should we pay for a foreign nations poor draining social services, committing identity theft(A FELONY) and put up with the DANGEROUS crime it puts on our law abiding men, women and CHILDREN?!

I read almost everyday of a heinous crimes committed by illegal aliens.

Why don't we put these dangerous illegals in their backyards! When it comes to defending THE LEGAL CITIZENS SHOULD BE DEFENDED! THEY PAY THE TAXES AND KEEP THIS COUNTRY AFLOAT.

I can't wait until November.

Lee Llambelis, legal director of the Fund, said the suit will argue that the ordinance erodes the federal government's power to regulate immigration

.

That's the whole point, the federal government isn't doing their freaking job so cities are trying to do what the feds won't enforce. There are laws already. Geez!
How many 'civil rights' groups are there now? This is amazing.
Does our government look weak or what?
Hope some liberal bleeding heart judge somewhere doesn't reverse this.
Seen enough of that in CA to last a lifetime.

I've heard you can sue for most anything in America these days. Hopefully suits on behalf of anarchy will not prevail.

Lee Llambelis, legal director of the Fund, said the suit will argue that the ordinance erodes the federal government's power to regulate immigration.

I hope the case is dismissed, because I don't think the pro-illegals have standing to argue this case in court. Hazelton is not eroding the federal government's power to regulate immigration, they are installing city ordinances deemed necessary to safeguard the towns citizens. They definitely shouldn't be able to argue discrimination, because the ordinances say absolutely nothing about Hispanics, Asians, etc. These ordinances are a valve to ensure federal laws are obeyed and enforced. Isn't it against the law for anyone to knowingly harbor an illegal immigrant? Isn't it against the law for anyone to knowingly hire an illegal immigrant? All Hazelton's doing is ensuring federal law is recognized and enforced. Bottom line, I'm sure Hazelton's city attorney worded the ordinances, so it's not as if a legal mind hasn't already evaluated them. I think (hope I'm right) this is a stunt for publicity, but it could backfire in a big way. If Hazelton wins, we could see many more cities throughout the country taking up similar ordinances. The pro-illegals might be their own worse enemy if the pursue the case against Hazelton. I hope Barletta's fax machine is working, because he may need it to fax out a bunch of copies of Hazelton's new ordinances.

This is what citizens of this country can expect for daring to enforce our immigration laws. America better wake up no time for slumber now, else you will wake up and realize we are now owned by the illegals.