Court Strikes Hazleton Municipal Ordinances Against Immigrants  
Posted Aug 03, 2007
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A federal judge of the central Pennsylvania district court struck down ordinances in the town of Hazleton, Pennsylvania on July 26, 2007. The ordinances provided for harsh punishment for undocumented foreign nationals and employers and landlords who provide them with homes and jobs. The city, and now the entire nation, remains divided over the issue of whether Mayor Louis J. Barletta had authority to exercise his mayoral power to enact such ordinances and what the judge's decision is likely to mean for similar local attempts to control illegal immigration.
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Local Ordinances Ruled Illegal
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Mayor Barletta has proclaimed that his goal in enacting the ordinances was to make Hazleton "one of the toughest places in the United States." In doing so, he violated the basic laws that every American should remember. First, under the doctrine of preemption, the issue of U.S. immigration is a federal and not a local or state responsibility. The federal government may not be managing the immigration situation well, but it has not delegated this power to state governments. Therefore, state governments and their municipalities are not at liberty to enact laws controlling immigration. Second, the United States Constitution provides for equal protection to all people within the U.S.
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Conclusion
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The recent decision is a sobering reminder that the United States is a country where the rule of law is respected on all levels, whether federal or local. No one may violate the U.S. Constitution without facing consequences. All people, whether "legal" or "illegal," have certain inalienable rights protected by law, and, if adjustments in the legal system are needed, they should be made in accordance with the existing laws and principles at the national or federal level.