Court battle the talk of the town (WIlkes-Barre Times Leader)
JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES
Staff Writer
HAZLETON – The city’s Illegal Immigration Relief Act court battle has become the talk of the town at bars, restaurants and pretty much anywhere folks congregate.
A couple of regulars at Third Base – a Hazleton institution known for its hoagies – were more than willing to share their opinions, as long as their names were not printed. The owner of the eatery declined to get in the middle of the debate.
The customers said illegal immigrants don’t belong here – period – and should be forced to comply with laws “like everyone else.”
They said they have no problem with legal, taxpaying newcomers and are tired of people in the national media portraying Hazletonians as bigots. They say support for the ordinance is automatically interpreted as anti-Latino.
“The mayor is 110 percent right. He has more guts than any other politician,” said one man.
Though the four men believe the city will lose in court, they back Mayor Lou Barletta and his administration for tackling a national problem that isn’t being solved by federal legislators.
“We’re proud of what the mayor is doing,” one man said.
A waitress at Jimmy’s Quick Lunch in the city’s downtown said customers have been chattering a lot about the court battle over their hot dogs and potato pancakes.
Most support Barletta, she said.
Several customers said they agreed with the mayor but won’t go public with their views because the issue has become so emotionally charged.
“You can’t print what I have to say,” said one customer.
A few blocks away, Franklin Nunez said he hopes the act fails, though he stressed that he’s all for cracking down on crime, whether it’s caused by illegal immigrants or not.
Nunez wasn’t really up on the immigration ordinance debate when he decided to locate here from “overpriced” Elizabeth, N.J., and open The Closet, one of several urban wear shops in the city.
Sales have been “a little bit sluggish,” he said. Other neighboring Wyoming Street business owners blame declining business on the immigration ordinance, he said.
But then again, he noticed that several other Latino-owned businesses have opened in recent months, including one next door that specializes in an array of fresh fish.
Nunez is staying with relatives and looking to buy a house here, though he may hold off until he sees if the ordinance is upheld and impacts his business, which also handles income tax returns.
If he can’t make it work financially, Nunez said he and others may choose to invest in businesses in Wilkes-Barre or other areas.
The owner of a nearby grocery store packed up and left for another destination as soon as the ordinance passed.
Nunez likes the idea of staying in Northeastern Pennsylvania because it’s affordable. He knows someone who is in the process of selling a $600,000-plus home in New Jersey for a “mansion” in Hazleton that sold for around $250,000.
Down the street, Manola Santana worries about a decline in his year-old business because he sunk so much into it.
Santana bought a house for $140,000 and a Wyoming Street building for $135,000 that he has transformed into A Touch of Elegance salon and Evolution Auto Sound.
Speaking through a customer who translated, Santana said he came here seeking a better life and wants to see the area remain safe and attractive. However, he fears the ordinance has chased away Latinos who share those same goals.
His friend, Alex Delacruz, said he and his relatives love the area and have purchased six homes here, ranging in price from $140,000 to $260,000.
“We’re helping the economy,” he said.
Born and raised in Harlem, Delacruz had been a bounty hunter in New Jersey and plans to complete police training, hoping to become a bilingual Hazleton cop. Delacruz said he can live with dirty looks but worries that the simmering tension and misconceptions will lead to confrontations.
He hopes federal officials decide once and for all what to do about illegal immigrants because the lack of action is tearing lives apart.
“Eventually, it’s going to blow up,” he said.
Stationed at the counter of his family’s eight year-old Wyoming Street business, Isabel’s Gifts, Chris Rubio said he’s closely following news articles about the court proceeding because it will impact his future.
“We are against the ordinance because a good portion of our customers are Latino,” he said.