Hazelton Mayor Barletta speaks at Senate Judiciary hearing on immigration reform

The United States Senate Committee On The Judiciary ^ | July 5, 2006 | The Honorable Louis Barletta

[stephenjohnbanker]

"In addition to passing and enforcing their own immigration laws, towns like Hazleton need to be suing the federal government for the negligence that is leading to all these unnecessary burdens of crime and its attendant costs."

Amen. Great tagline!

[Razz Barry]

Let me be clear - this ordinance is intended to make Hazleton one of the most difficult places in the U.S. for illegal immigrants.

I'm one of those who thinks if you send a clear message that their not wanted they'll leave.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Agreed.

[Wil H]

but, bit, I'm told these are all good people coming here looking for work....

Surely we are not being lied to?

[JudyZ]

Mayor Barletta is 100% right! Why won’t government look at the real cost of these illegals? The legal, tax paying citizens of this state and country support the illegals through our social services programs, free medical and drugs, free interpretors, free legal services, and education that they do not contribute to by paying taxes. Let’s not forget the cost to have multi-lingual public servants, multi-lingual driver’s license centers and exams, and multi-lingual public buildings. We should not be rewarding their illegal activities with services paid for by legal, tax paying citizens. These people are stealing from us. We have laws against stealing - enforce them! Protect those of us that pay for your protection. If all employers that hire illegals and all landlords that rent to illegals took 25% - 30% of the wages they pay them or rent collected and could document who the money came from, then maybe it would help offset the cost. But probably not. This is almost like “taxation without representation”. I am being taxed but I am not being represented by the federal government that I support.