Friday, July 27, 2007

Good News on Immigration Front

The collapse of the Senate Immigration Bill fuelled fears that the know-nothing antics of the anti-immigrant mob would create more harassment at a local level. But this week saw two significant victories in favor of undocumented immigrants and common sense.

On July 25, the Connecticut city of New Haven became the first city in the nation to introduce ID cards for undocumented immigrants; allowing access to bank accounts, library services etc.
In New York, City Council member Hiram Monserratte wants to do the same for immigrants in the city. (Hear more at nyc.org)

And on July 26, a federal judge in Scranton, PA, ruled against the City of Hazleton in a landmark challenge (Lozano v. City of Hazleton) to local ordinances aimed at punishing landlords, employers, and people perceived to be immigrants.

In a opinion, federal judge James Munley ruled that federal law "prohibits Hazleton from enforcing any of the provisions of its ordinances," which impose a $1,000-per-day fine on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants, revoke the business license of any employer who hires them, declare English as the official language and bar city employees from translating documents to another language without approval. (Washington Post)
According to the Hazelton police, over the past seven years undocumented immigrants were involved in only one-quarter of one percent of felonies in Hazleton. That's just 20 out of 8,575. It's clearly irresponsible and unfair to blame hardworking families and entire communities for crimes that they did not commit.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The truth is in Hazelton they need the illegal immigrantrs ,there new law said anyone who rented housing or employed illegals befor janaury 2007 was ok and could keep doing so its only illegals who turned up since then would be punished. These immigrants have no paper work. So the law realy means keep the angry old white men happy they will all be dead of old age soon ,and we also keep our works. Looking strong doing nothing good work Hazelton look at the money you wasted from your own community your sapouse to help
Dumb and Dumber

Anonymous said...

It is a great start to change things.The id cards would help everyone a lot,including legal americans after all there was big talk on "we do not who these people are" now they will know who they are.
You will also be able to make comuinties safer for everyone by having ID cards ,people would now not fear in reporting crimes.
For those opposed to the ID cards for the undocumented, are or were you opposed to the Federal Goverment having a program for many years now to give the undocumented Tax ID Cards so the undocumented could pay taxes?
Most do pay taxes and get notting in return!
New York city should get this together also, New Yorkers should know better than any other city what a important role the undocumented play in runing this city.In the city if all the undocumented were removed in the morning the City would grind to a halt for the most part. There would be garabge in the streets,very few cabs,no breakfasts,no food deliverys,no door service no laundry service,no chid care, no eldery care no construction the list would go on and on!
The Governor should also change the law on Driver Licenses the undocumented should be allowed to renew and apply for one, its hurt this city and state a lot in reveunes alone. Car sales suffer,insurance companys suffer, DMV suffers we all suffer,at the end of the day its not good busness sense.
Maybe ILIR could start the lobbing for the Drivers License.
I know I would there to help them!

Anonymous said...

WAKE UP id cards and driving license are no good now we need a
VISA

Anonymous said...

I dont understand Lou Dobbs says illegals get driver licence and welfare free, housing and much more on his show every night ring him he knows how to get them