Free Republic

That's what Barack Obama called it. "A victory for all Americans." A small town in Pennsylvania votes overwhelmingly to elect a mayor on a platform of cracking down on the damage illegal aliens are inflicting on the community. The heroic mayor, Louis J. Barletta, fulfills his promise to his constituents by enacting an ordinance last summer prohibiting renting to those in the U.S. illegally. A group of "activists" challenge the law in court. And U.S. District Judge James Munley, an appointee of Bill Clinton, overturns the popular measure with a stroke of the pen. That is what Barack Obama characterizes...

Local jurisdictions across the country, beginning in Hazleton, Pa., have decided they need to act to control crimes committed by illegal aliens in their towns. A variety of laws against illegals as tenants, against illegals as company employees, and in favor of English as the required language, have resulted. The dimensions of the problem are clear. A recent Justice Department audit (reported in The Washington Times Jan. 9) revealed more than 70 percent of illegal aliens arrested in the U.S. had previously been arrested for five or more crimes. The crime problem is compounded when you add the financial costs...