Check out Alan's latest piece over at Tom Paine. This week Alan discusses immigration and the Hazelton ruling we reported on yesterday:
With the failure of Congress and the president to pass
immigration reform this year, states, cities and towns around the
country are moving forward with their own policies to address the
issue. Some, like the city of New Haven, Conn., and the state of
Illinois are attempting to integrate immigrants—including undocumented
immigrants—into their communities in the absence of federal solutions.
Others, like Hazelton, Pa., and Prince William County, Va., are
adopting policies that punish undocumented immigrants and, with them,
many citizens, families, small businesses and whole communities.The better course, by far, is integrating new immigrants in ways that move everyone in the community forward.
On July 26, a federal court struck down
anti-immigrant ordinances in Hazelton as unconstitutional. The voided
provisions would, among other things, have required tenants to register
with City Hall and fined landlords who rent to people without verifying
their immigration status. The federal district court held that the
ordinances would have violated due process and are preempted by federal
immigration laws.Prince William County
recently passed a similar ordinance that would bar undocumented
immigrants from public facilities and services like clinics, libraries
and schools, and have police inquire about the immigration status of
people whom they stop. The American Civil Liberties Union reports that 40 similar ordinances have passed in cities and towns around the country.
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