Decision Day: Judge expected to rule on Illegal Immigration Relief Act today
Thursday, 26 July 2007
By WADE MALCOLM
Staff Writer
A federal judge is expected to rule today on the constitutionality of Hazleton’s illegal immigration ordinance, setting the stage for a long-awaited decision that could affect dozens of communities locally and hundreds more around the country.

U.S. District Judge James M. Munley’s ruling in the landmark case will decide whether local governments, specifically Hazleton, have the right to pass laws dealing with illegal immigrants by punishing landlords and employers doing business with them.
The American Civil Liberties Union and several other advocacy groups sued the city in federal court on behalf of residents and community groups, arguing the ordinance infringed on the civil rights of Latinos and conflicted with federal immigration law. A nine-day trial was held in March at the William J. Nealon Federal Building in Scranton.
Although judges have ruled on illegal ordinances in other parts of the country, Munley’s would be the first following a full trial, giving it more precedent-setting power.
The decision will “most likelyâ€