News update |
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Mayor Who Put Hazleton on the Map "Anointed" by Voters for a Third Term
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May 16, 2007
Washington DC - When Hazleton, Pennsylvania,
Mayor Lou
Barletta took the bold step of implementing local
ordinances to curb illegal immigration in his city, he
was widely described as "controversial." Barletta's
strong stance against illegal immigration was so
"controversial," in fact, that the two-term Republican
not only won yesterday's Republican primary with 94.4
percent of the vote, but he won the Democratic
nomination through a write-in campaign by nearly a 2-1
margin. Given the opportunity to express their views on
Barletta's battle against illegal immigration, Hazleton
residents did not so much as elect him to a third term,
but virtually anointed him their mayor for the next four
years.
The voters' judgment on Mayor Barletta presents an
interesting contrast to a local election that took place
in Herndon, Virginia, exactly one year ago. In that
local election, the central campaign issue was the
mayor's and city council's decision to fund an illegal
alien day labor center, in spite of widespread public
opposition. While Mayor Barletta was re-elected by
acclaim in Hazleton, the mayor and all but one of the
Herndon council members who voted to accommodate illegal
aliens were swept out of office.
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"FAIR congratulates Mayor Barletta not only for his
remarkable and convincing victory in yesterday's
election, but for his strong and principled stance
against illegal immigration," said Dan Stein, president
of the Federation for American Immigration Reform
(FAIR). "Mayor Barletta has not only demonstrated how
local governments can take an effective stance against
illegal immigration in their communities, but he has
proven that doing so is politically popular."
Since Hazleton moved to curtail illegal immigration by
imposing local penalties against employers who hire and
landlords who rent to illegal aliens, similar local
policies have been adopted by cities all across the
United States. "Mayor Barletta's sweeping bipartisan
reelection proves, once again, that the assortment of
illegal alien rights and civil liberties groups who file
lawsuits challenging local ordinances and
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otherwise make a lot of noise, represent absolutely no
one but themselves. When it comes to enforcing laws
against illegal immigration, there simply is no
controversy," declared Stein.
Barletta's convincing affirmation of his policies
against illegal immigration comes precisely amidst
Senate deliberations on legislation that would grant
amnesty to tens of millions of illegal aliens, which is
supported by President Bush. "According to the latest
polls, the only people who are held in lower regard by
the public than President Bush is Congress. The
readiness of the people in Washington to sell out the
interests of working Americans on immigration is
emblematic of why they are held in such low esteem,"
Stein noted. "Back home, where Americans live with the
consequences of unchecked illegal immigration,
politicians who are prepared to enforce laws and protect
ordinary citizens, enjoy overwhelming public support.
The message out of Hazleton yesterday was very clear:
Supporting immigration enforcement is perhaps the least
controversial political position in America today."
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