Thread: Hazelton: Illegal immigration act appeal due in federal cour

Illegal immigration act appeal due in federal court Thursday

BY KENT JACKSON
STAFF WRITER
Published: Monday, October 27, 2008 2:43 AM EDT

A federal appeal for a 2006 case that put Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta in the spotlight will be held five days before he faces U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski in their race for Congress.

Two years ago, Barletta gained national attention by supporting Hazleton’s Illegal Immigration Relief Act. The law never took effect, and a federal judge in Scranton overturned it last summer.

The U.S. Circuit Court in Philadelphia plans to hear an appeal in the case at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

During the appeal, three judges selected by computer will listen to arguments and ask questions of attorneys representing the city and the law’s opponents, led by the American Civil Liberties Union. Each side will have 30 minutes to present a case, and the judges aren’t expected to decide the appeal for months.

Still, the hearing might revive an issue that initially attracted voters to Barletta.

“It will allow Mayor Barletta to demonstrate yet again that he has been fighting for the people of Hazleton and by extension for the people of the district,â€

There was another shooting in Hazleton Sunday night (10-26-0. No one was killed, and no other info is available other than the Hispanic surname of the shooter. But of course, we can't assume the perp with no understanding of the sanctity of life is here illegally, now can we?

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008
US appeals court weighs local Pa. immigration law
- The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — A federal appeals judge has questions for a small Pennsylvania city that wants to bar illegal immigrants from working or renting apartments in town.

Circuit Judge Theodore McKee asked both pragmatic and philosophical questions about Hazleton's law at Thursday's hearing. Where would asylum-seekers live after their visa expires but before they learn if they will be granted asylum? What due process do alleged violators have? And he wondered what other rights cities might deny illegal immigrants. If they can be denied shelter, might they be denied the right to buy food?

Earlier, a federal judge ruled Hazleton's law was unconstitutional, but an appeals panel in Philadelphia is now considering that decision. There's no word on when a ruling is likely. Whoever loses is likely to make another appeal.

http://www.centredaily.com/news/state/story/934905.html

US appeals court weighs local Pa. law on illegals
By MARYCLAIRE DALE – 1 hour ago

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Lawyers for a small eastern Pennsylvania city asked a federal appeals court Thursday to uphold a local law that would keep illegal immigrants from working or renting apartments there, in a case with national implications.

Cities and municipalities across the country have adopted laws similar to the City of Hazleton's 2006 ordinance. However, a federal judge later called the Hazleton law unconstitutional, and its provisions are not being enforced.

On Thursday, a lawyer for the former coal town argued that the ordinance would not conflict with federal immigration policy set by Congress. But an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer argued that municipalities should not be allowed to set varying standards and restrictions for illegal immigrants.

Congress, in crafting U.S. immigration law, aims to strike a balance between the rights of immigrants, foreign policy concerns, national security and other competing interests, ACLU lawyer Omar C. Jadwat told the three-judge panel.

"That's going to be impossible if Hazleton and other cities strike their own balance," Jadwat said.

The city's Illegal Immigration Relief Act would impose fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and deny business permits to companies that give them jobs. It would also require tenants to register with City Hall and pay for a rental permit.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit is the first to hear an appeal of a local law involving illegal immigrants, but the 9th U.S. Circuit has upheld a statewide Arizona law that relates to employment issues. If the 3rd Circuit decides that Hazleton's work- and housing-related ordinance is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court may want to review the competing opinions.

Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta, who has gained a national following while championing the law, is running for Congress.

He argues that as much as 10 percent of the city's 33,000 residents are illegal immigrants. Some have relocated from New York and Philadelphia, lured by the lower cost of living. The mayor says they are a drain on city and school budgets.

The three-judge panel did not indicate when it might rule. Whichever side loses is likely to appeal.

Hazleton is 79 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

http://ap.google.com

Where would asylum-seekers live after their visa expires but before they learn if they will be granted asylum? What due process do alleged violators have? And he wondered what other rights cities might deny illegal immigrants. If they can be denied shelter, might they be denied the right to buy food?

Say WHAT?!?! Illegal aliens are NOT "asylum-seekers, they are criminals who are violating federal law! Asylum-seekers have some type of papers showing them to be seeking asylum. Illegal aliens DON'T have any such thing!

Wouldn't renting to an illegal alien be violating federal laws? I think so, so what's the hold up here?

Uhh this judge is a real riot eh? You don't NEED ID to buy food. Even tourists are allowed to buy food, what's that got to do with renting to illegals? THEY SHOULDN'T BE HERE.

He argues that as much as 10 percent of the city's 33,000 residents are illegal immigrants.

Yeah right. Hazleton was down to about 23,500 population in the mid 90's, when then-Mayor Marsicano invited "immigrants" from NY and other places to move into Haz. The problem was that there are laws stating a "city" by definition must have at least 25,000 people to maintain status as a "city."

When the population dropped well below the line, they had to come up with a way to keep that status, or risk losing all the benefits of being deemed a "city."

Their answer was to bring "immigrants" into Hazleton, which we now know are almost ALL illegal aliens.

33,000 - 23,500 = 9,500 illegal aliens (29%)