http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centreda ... 518492.htm
1/22/07

Berwick council to take up bill requiring IDs from renters

BERWICK — Council members are slated to take up Monday an ordinance aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants by requiring all renters to show identification papers and imposing penalties on landlords who rent to them.

The measure would require renters to show two forms of identification at City Hall within two months: a state photo ID, such as a driver’s license, and a Social Security card, birth certificate or passport. The current draft drops a proposed criminal background check.

Borough manager Shane Pepe said such documents should all but prove legal residency in Berwick, which has at least 2,000 rental units. The proposal also requires annual inspections.

Landlords earlier sought a waiver for longtime residents, but the draft ordinance includes no such provision. Under the measure, those caught renting to illegal immigrants could face hundreds of dollars in fines and even jail time for multiple offenses.

Hazleton last year approved measures to fine landlords who rent to illegal immigrants, deny business permits to companies that give them jobs, and require tenants to register with City Hall and pay for a rental permit. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the city from enforcing them.