Tough Immigration Measures Put Heat on Penn. Town
by Chad Groening
August 28, 2006
(AgapePress) - - The mayor of a small town in Pennsylvania says he won't be intimidated by the ACLU and Hispanic groups that are upset over steps he has taken to deal with the influx of illegal immigrants into his community. As a result of those steps, many illegal immigrants have decided to pack and leave the area. Mayor Lou Barletta presides over the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, a former coal-mining town of 31,000. Barletta says Hazleton has always prided itself on the quality of life it offers. "Senior citizens can sit on the porch and parents can allow their children to play on the playgrounds," notes the mayor. But on a less-positive note, he adds: "In the past two years now, I've seen a change here in the city of Hazleton where that quality of life is being destroyed by illegal immigration."
The mayor says crime perpetrated by illegal immigrants got so bad this summer that the city has initiated stiff ordinances. For example, notes Barletta, landlords can be fined $1,000 per tenant per day for renting to illegal immigrants, and companies can be denied business permits for up to five years for hiring them. On top of that, Barletta says English is now the community's official language.
According to Barletta, the new laws have already been effective. "We have seen illegals literally loading up their furniture in the middle of the night and leaving town," he shares. "Unfortunately, we have been sued for what I believe is protecting the citizens of this city, and we're prepared to fight this fight to the highest court if necessary."
Mayor Barletta contends that if the federal government took the steps he has taken, illegal immigrants across the U.S. would return to their home countries.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
