Immigration Showdown In Hazleton
Pennsylvania City's Anti-Immigration Ordinance Before A Federal Judge
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Illegal Immigration Showdown
A trial is under way in Pennsylvania on whether the city of Hazleton has the right to enact immigration laws. Byron Pitts reports how the ruling could affect other cities in America.
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Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta instituted the "Illegal Immigration Relief Act" last summer. (CBS)
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The Rev. John Ruth leads people attending a rally in opposition to Hazleton City's new Illegal immigration ordinance in prayer at Memorial Park in Hazleton, Pa. on Sept. 3, 2006. (AP)
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Video Coverage: CBS News examines the heated debate over immigration in the United States.
"Illegal immigration is draining our city's budget, and therefore, as a mayor, I took an oath of office to protect and defend our citizens — and that's what we're going to do," says Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta.
Barletta is defending the "Illegal Immigration Relief Act," passed by the City Council last summer in response to a sharp spike in crime attributed mostly to illegal immigrants. The city ordinance would fine landlords who rent to "illegals" or employers who hire them.
Demonstrators have decried the measure as both illegal and racist. Longtime residents say it has created tension in town. Some Latino families have moved out.
The matter is now before a federal judge in Scranton. The ACLU claims only the federal government can enact immigration law, while the city is arguing it has legal jurisdiction.
Whichever side wins, cities and towns across the country are watching. At least 30 municipalities have already passed a similar ordinance, and 70 more are considering one.
For now, all sides in Hazleton agree on one thing: When it comes to illegal immigration, one resident notes, "The truth of the matter is for years and years we have a system that is broke and it has to be fixed."
The trial could take two weeks.
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See all 52 CommentsMy friend bought a cute little house in a small town. The illegals moved in because of low prices. The partying and fiestas on the weekends became unbearable. One of the parties included a lot of motorcycle riding and one rode up the sidewalk over lawns and rammed into their front window causing a lot of damage. When the Mexican cops (yes, Spanish speaking required) came they didn't even issue a citation. Not even a ticket for riding a motorcycle into someones front room through the window.
When did it become legal to be illegal? That's either an oxymoron or a double negative. It's against the law to be illegal. Where's the question?????
There are many in America who don't want to fine the businesses and enforce are immigration laws. They'd rather make everyone else a law enforcement officer by default. Plus, they like the fact that there is slave labor to be had very cheap.
I agree with you. I am born and raised around that area and am really proud of Hazleton for taking a stand. I hope and pray that Hazleton wins this battle against the ACLU and others.
We have immigration laws in this country that need to be followed and all these illegal aliens thumb their noses at those laws and then they come into our cities and towns and use up resources we don't have and then thumb their noses at the laws our states, cities and towns have in effect.
They need to go and anyone who sides with illegal aliens needs to go live with them in Mexico or whatever country they come from and let the USA be the USA, because anyone who sides with them cannot surely love their country enough to protect it from ruin. Our country has been driven down to the dregs of immoral and unethical behavior because of all these illegal aliens coming in to our cities and towns. Once people realize this then we will be able to clean up America, and America will once again be the best country in the world.
Second of all, I have a feeling there would not be near as much of a backlash against the illegal immigrants if they would do two things. NOT expect American Citizens to learn their language! Learn English or go home. And NOT expect American Citizens to adopt their social routines. You came here, attempt to fit in! We don't need to listen to your ear blasting music or pay for your trips to the emergency room or for our schools to have to employ multilingual teachers to teach your children. When most of ancestors came here either from Italy or Poland or anywhere else, the children were immersed in regular classes and learned English and taught their parents English. Many immigrant families wouldn't allow any language other than english to be spoken in their households to encourage the children to assimilate into the culture. It worked then and should work now. I don't see any reason why I should have to go back to school to learn Spanish to be able to obtain a job. And that is fast becoming the norm. This country needs to name English as the official language!
then after their dead,throw their worthless body back into Mexico as a warning to others there that this will be your fate if you dare enter our country in this way.We need to play hardball with these people once and for all & show them that we mean business.
Remember, the final straw was when two of this non-English speaking thugs shot down two kids. The G&y ridden - and run ACLU, I just wonder if they'd tolerate any of this folks in their tony condos and homes?
Furthermore, to echo the previous poster. What part of the words ILLEGAL ALIEN do you not understand? This country was built on Immigrants - IMMIGRANTS who applied to be American citizens, who learned English or stayed at home while other family members did, who don't fly the flags of a rotten, corrupt, country while so called American Congressmen of their own background applaud and demand rights for them. These people are only interested in the Dinero - they could care less about the History and Traditions of the United States of America. Don't believe me - then ask some of their kids who barely speak Inglis - they'll tell you!
Apply to become a citizen, learn English, and obey the laws - or get out. No IFS, BUTS, OR ANDS. And as for Pelosi, Reid, Kennedy, and the Latino Mechaista Dems in California and Arizona -shut up and act like Americans because honestly we don't need you too.
ICE raids a manufacturing plant in Mass. and arrests the owners and detains the illegal immigrants. Congress%u2019s reaction is to call for a investigation of ICE for holding the raid.
Illegal immigrants are depressing wages for legal immigrants and citizens. There are not jobs that we won%u2019t do, only jobs that we want a fair wage to do, and not to be under cut by illegal labor.
FYI: In Mexico, if you are NOT a citizen you are NOT allowed to get medical care, you are NOT allowed food stamps or support of ANY kind, if your child does not speak spanish, they are NOT allowed in school. Does anyone else see the double standard??????
Republicans, Democrats, big business, and big labor are all in bed together on this folks.
All for different reasons, but all turning a blind eye to illegal immigration.
The amount of money required to compete for any government office, not just the presidency, is so great that the average, honest, person cannot afford to campaign.
Only the ultra rich, top tier, of Americans and the mega corporations can afford to support/buy candidates for government offices.
The number of illegal immigrants has multiplied in recent years but is not likely to improve until the legal citizens of this country demand it, in a loud and collective voice.
I agree with another poster here that the oft-used defense for allowing illegal immigrants %u201Cthey only take jobs Americans don%u2019t want%u201D is an outright lie. The truth is they take jobs Americans simply ask a decent wage to perform.
Over 12 million people be deported? you have no clue what the cost of deportation is to taxpayers! Yes the government has to buy a ticket and get an escort for the deportee to ensure the person gets wherever they are going. Deporting over 12 million people is not possible. I agree all who break the law should be punished but how do you punish someone when there is no legal way of doing it. If the government created a legal path then there would be no excuse for illegal entry.
I see that as a defeatist attitude, if there is no legal way for them to come here they should not come period until and unless there is.
Not to deport illegal immigrants because of expense is a nonstarter because it costs a lot more to support them here.
It does not cost Americans that much money to deport illegal immigrants. I do not know where you got your stats from but you are dead wrong. All the Government has to do is have a special visa set up to let them get on a boat. Theboat sends them back to their country. What is do hard about that.
So far, 72% of Mexicans are being stopped at the border now. This is encouraging. But it shouldn't stop there. For this country should stop Asians, Indians, Arbians, Africans, and everybody else who crosses the border illegally.
If they want to come here, they need to learn to read, write, and speak English first. Then pay their way to get here. If they don't do this, don't attempt it. America is no stomping ground for every riff-raff that wants to come here. It disgusts me everytime I walk down the street and I try to talk to one of these illegals and they can't even speak English. This is a downright shame. We have given this country away and we need to get it back.
Now the descendants of those Europeans are self-righteously pretending to be the rightful heirs of the land and trying to stop the next wave of immigrants. Perhaps they are smarter than the American Indians who were slaughtered and displaced before them. One thing is certain--they are pathetic hypocrites.
Every nation in the world is possessed by whoever is strong enough to maintain control. Every civilization has fallen when they were overrun by a more motivated group. I predict that America is in the process of changing ownership.
The question is, "where do we draw the line?" Our children are being dumbed down, in part, because of the uneducated, hispanic children entering. Our economic is being drained in a detrimental way. They're not paying taxes. In other words, they're taking, but giving little back in return, and think it's their right, not a privilege, to do so.
When my antecedants came to this country, they did so legally. My mother could speak 5 languages when she started school, but not one of them was English. She refused to teach us anything but English so we wouldn't have the problems she did in school. To immigrants back then, they WANTED to be AMERICAN, unlike many hispanics today.
Perhaps we should deport the illegals, close the borders, strenghten our own economy, then begift Mexico with money to help build its infrastructure and take care of their own.
that the AClU will not twist out of effect?
Very different from our ancestors who came through Ellis island, don't you think?
Deportation for any crime an illegal immigrant commits. If the jobs, housing, driver's licenses, and other services are completely cut-off from these people, this drain on the legal taxpayer will end. These people are overunning the country, especially in the border states with Mexico.
We are not talking about LEGAL immigrants, only those who sneak in through Mexico, Florida, East& West Coasts, Canada...etc.
Legal immigrants are not the problem.
High fives to Hazelton. We almost had the same type of ordinance here in central Folrida, but a couple "minority" city council members voted against it. I wonder why. For the life of me, I cannot understand why these bleeding heart dumbs**** types allow and encouage this crapola. I think everyone who supports having them in the U.S. should be required to take a family of illegals home with them. Let them live in your house, you feed them. Let them steal your jewelry, TV and money. Also they can *** in your front yard when the bathroom is occupied.
What part of ILLEGAL don't you understand ???
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