Hazleton City Council Speech by Mayor Lou Barletta, June 15, 2006

First, let me thank everyone for coming tonight. This is certainly an important issue that will affect every Hazleton resident.

I ask that our discussion tonight be serious and sincere, but respectful and polite. Nothing good will come from vicious and personal attacks, and they will not be tolerated.

Let me begin by saying that I believe the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth. People who are in this country have an incredible amount of opportunities and blessings. But some people have taken advantage of America's openness and tolerance.

Some come to this country and refuse to learn English, creating a language barrier for city employees.

Others enter the country illegally and use government services by not paying taxes or by committing crime on our streets, further draining resources here in Hazleton.

Illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, contributes to overcrowded classrooms and failing schools, subjects our hospitals to fiscal hardship, and legal residents to substandard quality of care, and destroys our neighborhoods
and diminishes our overall quality of life.

The city of Hazleton is empowered and mandated by the people of Hazleton to abate the nuisance of illegal immigration by aggressively prohibiting and punishing the acts, policies, people and businesses that aid
and abet illegal aliens.

That is why I proposed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act.

Part of this ordinance would punish companies that hire illegal immigrants by denying them permits, making it harder for them to renew permits and forcing their loss of city business.

Another part would hold landlords accountable. Because people moving into the city naturally require a place to sleep, our landlords are our first line of defense.

Landlords who rent to illegal immigrants – that is, who rent to people without checking their documentation -- may be fined $1,000 for every illegal immigrant staying on their properties.

The final part of this ordinance makes English the official language of Hazleton. All city documents will only be available in English.

While our emergency services will never be denied to anyone because of a language barrier, every other aspect of city business will be conducted only in English.

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

Only legal immigrants are welcome in Hazleton!

The Illegal Immigration Relief Act is Intended to deter and punish any illegal immigrants in the City of Hazleton,
whether they are from Eastern Europe, Latin America or the Far East.

Requiring the use of English does not target any other language; it merely means that you can speak the language of your choice at home or in your business .

Since I publicly proposed this measure earlier this week, some have accused me of proposing this measure as "window dressing," or as a political ploy.

Sadly, most of the people making those accusations are not from Hazleton. They do not live in or even near the city. They either do not understand or choose to ignore the problems that illegal immigration creates for this city.

I will no longer sit back, waiting for Someone else to fix this problem. We deal with illegal immigration every single day.

Here in Hazleton, it is not some abstract Debate about walls and amnesty, but it is a tangible, very real problem.

Illegal immigration is a drain on Hazleton's resources. Every domestic incident, every traffic accident, every noise complaint – each time we send our police department, fire department or code enforcement office to respond, it costs taxpayer dollars. We must dip into the city's accounts to pay for illegal immigrants, while illegal immigrants
do not pay their fair share of taxes, either to the city, the county, the state or the country.

If the City does begin publishing official documents or conducting business in a second language, how would we respond when someone asks us to use a third, or a fourth?

Do we tell a person who speaks a different language they aren’t as important and do not merit documents in their own language?

Recent crimes -- the shooting on Chestnut Street, the discharge of firearms at the Pine Street Playground, high-profile drug busts – have involved illegal immigrants. Our Police department spent hundreds of hours --regular time and overtime -- cracking these and other cases.

Sadly, some of those allegedly involved in these crimes were detained by other law enforcement officials over the years, but were somehow allowed to remain in this country. They eventually migrated into Hazleton, where they helped create a sense of fear in the good, hardworking residents who are here legally.

It is my goal that this ordinance will eventually deter crime in Hazleton. Deprived of a place to live and without family or friends who live and work in Hazleton illegally, other illegal immigrants may choose to look elsewhere when choosing a place to commit a crime.

This ordinance does not roll back the welcome mat to those who are legally in the United States. This country was built on the backs of legal immigrants. My own great-grandparents came to this country seeking a better life.

Rather, this ordinance seeks to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into Hazleton. They are not welcome here.

This ordinance also seeks to unify the city. Far too often, because of the language barrier that exists in this city, neighbors do not talk to each other. They do not understand each other's cultures or habits. They cannot share their concerns and work out their problems.

Instead, the language barrier divides us. It splits neighborhoods along ethnic lines, much in the way it did in Hazleton's early years. The difference between then and now is that today, some choose not to even make an attempt to learn English. They willfully separate themselves from the community as a whole.

I am proud of our diversity in Hazleton. Virtually all of us in this room are descended from immigrants. We all have cultures we embrace.

But government cannot mandate diversity. Government cannot force diversity upon us. While we as individuals and as a community are free to celebrate our diversity, government must remain impartial, not favoring one culture or another.

Government must work to assist everyone on a level playing field.

To level that field, we must crack down on illegal immigrants who are draining our city’s resources, and we must make English our official language.

To the residents of Hazleton, I say thank you for your continued support. Hazleton is moving forward and becoming an even better place to live.

To our recently arrived legal immigrants, I say welcome. I personally wish you all the best. With hard work and determination, the United States and Hazleton can be a place where your dreams come true.

And to illegal immigrants and those who would hire or abet them in any way, I say your time is up. You are no longer welcome.

Thank you, and God bless America.