US Rep. Barletta goes national with immigration fight

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Barletta goes national with immigration fight

Former Hazleton mayor, now congressman, offers bill targeting 'sanctuary cities.'

By Colby Itkowitz, CALL WASHINGTON BUREAU

8:44 AM PDT, May 4, 2011

WASHINGTON -- After just a little more than 100 days in office, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, who gained national attention for implementing strict anti-illegal immigration laws as mayor of Hazleton, has made the topic his first solo initiative on Capitol Hill.

Standing alone at a podium before a sprinkling of reporters Wednesday morning, Barletta said he was in the process of crafting a bill that would withhold all federal funding from so-called "sanctuary cities," those that do not fully enforce federal immigration laws.

The freshman Republican, who represents Carbon and Monroe counties, also has asked the Congressional Research Service to calculate how much each such city -- there are more than 100 in the U.S. -- receives in federal taxpayer dollars.

"If the federal government wants to sue the state of Arizona because it claims the state is breaking federal law, then it should also sue the mayors of sanctuary cities because they are willfully breaking federal immigration law," Barletta said. "Local elected officials who choose to ignore enforcement of federal immigration policy are aiding and assisting illegal aliens. … They should not receive millions or even billions in tax dollars as a reward."

In 2006, Barletta backed a law for his small town of no more than 25,000 that fined local businesses for hiring and landlords for renting to illegal immigrants. The law also made English the official language of Hazleton. Barletta was sued and the law was found unconstitutional in federal court.

The cities that Barletta would target in his bill have adopted a policy that, to varying degrees, says local law enforcement won't turn over illegal immigrants to federal authorities. Philadelphia, although it does not consider itself one, is deemed a "sanctuary city" by some because Mayor Michael Nutter decided last summer to no longer release the immigration status of witnesses or victims of crimes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"The mayor believes that [people here in an undocumented status] are looking for a brighter future for themselves and for their children and as part of a national solution we need to provide a pathway to citizenship," said Mark McDonald, the mayor's press secretary. "We need to find some way where they can recognize their responsibilities as Americans and become legal participants in the society they call home."

Lynn Tramonte, deputy director of America's Voice, an advocacy group for immigrants, said the criticism of "sanctuary cities" is unfounded. The policies allow illegal immigrants to feel comfortable reporting crimes without having to worry about deportation.

"These policies are community policing policies. They are based on the theory that if you want to bring criminals to justice you need the eyes and ears of the entire community," she said.

She called Barletta's bill "dangerous."

On the other side of the immigration debate, Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group that favors low immigration, likened not turning over an illegal immigrant to pulling over a driver, finding out he is wanted for a crime in another state and not turning him in.

"It is perfectly reasonable for the federal government to use the federal purse strings to get local governments to comply with federal laws," he said of Barletta's bill. "Basically what these cities are saying is we're not going to do anything to cooperate with federal authorities."

The immigration debate is gaining renewed attention in Washington. President Barack Obama is eager to move forward on the immigration issue. He's held meetings, including with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Tuesday, reiterating that he's committed to creating ways for illegal immigrants to become legal.

Jan Ting, a Temple law professor who ran as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in 2006 but left the party because he supported Obama in 2008, said when it comes to immigration he believes most Americans would support Barletta.

Ting finds it hypocritical that self-designated "sanctuary cites" defy the federal government, yet localities and states wanting to enact stricter immigration laws are told they're not allowed.

Not to worry, said Barletta, who's also forming an immigration reform caucus among freshman lawmakers.

"They said only the federal government can write laws dealing with immigration," Barletta said, after the conference ended. "Lucky for me, I'm here."

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/mc-lou-barletta-illegal-immigration-20110504,0,7481515.story

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West/Barletta 2012!