Immigration News

U.S. District Court Rules Pennsylvania Immigrant Ordinance 'Unconstitutional'

In a precedent-setting legal decision that could shape the future of the nation's immigration debate, a U.S. District Court struck down a Hazelton, Pa., ordinance that sought to penalize businesses that hire undocumented immigrant workers, ruling it unconstitutional. On July 26, U.S. District Judge James Munley of Scranton, Pa., overturned the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, ruling that immigration policy is the purview of the federal government and that Hazelton's actions preempted federal laws (specifically the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986) and violated the plaintiffs' due-process rights and those of others in the community. The ordinance sought to impose harsh fines on landlords who rent to immigrants and deny business permits to companies that employ them. The ruling, which most likely will be appealed, calls into question the legality of similar laws and ordinances passed around the country - including two recent state laws enacted in Arizona and Tennessee punishing employers for immigration violations. For more information, contact Freeman Smith at (703) 684-3450, Ext.1321, or fsmith@asa-hq.com .