Pa. Illegal Immigration Trial Wraps Up

[pampango]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

"The ACLU sued Hazleton to try to overturn new city rules that target landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and businesses that employ them.

Walczak's team argued that the federal government has exclusive power over immigration policy.

The city disagreed, saying Congress had intended states and municipalities to help enforce immigration law. It noted, for example, that Congress in 1996 required states to determine the immigration status of anyone seeking public benefits."

"Hazleton's Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which the city council revised several times for legal reasons, would impose fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and deny business permits to companies that give them jobs. A companion ordinance would require tenants to register with City Hall and pay for a rental permit."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/03/22/national/a113446D49.DTL&type=politics

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The article states that other towns around the country have patterned laws on that of Hazelton.

If their law withholds building permits to businesses that hire illegal immigrants, that is a very tough employer sanction. Without building permits, businesses can't even function, so it is a more serious sanction that a significant fine.

It will be interesting to see how the court decides this case, and how the appeals turn out. Immigration certainly is a federal matter, but building permits are certainly a legitimate local government function.