Hazleton, Barletta, Santorum and immigrants again

I'm not the only one who thinks that Hazleton's immigrant ordinance will be thrown out in court because immigration law is the purview of the federal government. Plus it opens up the people of the city to all kinds of legal actions.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Congressional researchers say they are skeptical that Hazleton's recent crackdown on illegal immigrants would survive a court challenge, asserting that the federal government has sole jurisdiction over immigration matters.

The ordinance "would very likely be found by a reviewing court to be preempted in whole or in part by federal immigration laws, just as similarly comprehensive state and local laws regulating immigration matters have been," according to the report, written by two lawyers for the research service.

But congressional researchers questioned whether businesses and landlords, worried about violating the ordinance, would discriminate against Hispanics in violation of federal employment and housing law. The report also said that states and municipalities are precluded by federal law from making determinations about immigration status.

Who would ask for such a study? No surprise here.

The research service completed its analysis on June 29, before the ordinance was approved. It was requested by U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, a Democrat whose district includes Hazleton and who survived a challenge from Barletta in the fall 2002 election.

Rapid Edward weighed in on the nonsense today.

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP)- "The only ones I want to hear speaking up and complaining about immigration are the Native Thursday Americans who we screwed," he told a gathering of young professionals on Thursday........"A lot of this is being pushed by politicians who absolutely want to keep your eyes away from real stuff," he said. "They feed off hate and divisiveness."