I use to watch the news on illegal immigration and our borders with a disinterest. Yes, it is important on a national level. No, I didn’t think it effected me personally.
My mother, who lives in the desert of southern California, and I would talk about it. It does personally effect her.
Then, I started watching as cities around the country, cities large and small, starting passing resolutions and laws. This city is a sanctuary city. This city has a law about renting to illegal aliens. Now, my country is dividing on this issue and it is going to get very interesting.
I was intrigued as most cities were on the west coast or in the south or southwest. Then, Hazleton, Pennsylvania came into the picture. I was intrigued that a city in the middle of Pennsylvania felt it necessary to pass a law called the Illegal Immigration Relief Act. The act basically says that illegal aliens are harmful to US citizens and cannot be employed or cannot inhabit housing in Hazleton. The ACLU and Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund have sued and the law was overturned last summer but the city appealed. Tomorrow, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the lawsuit.
Why am I so intrigued by this law? Why am I so interested now? What has changed? One of my daughter’s best friends at college is now a border patrol member. Illegal immigration has become much more real to me.
Does a city really need to pass a law saying that illegal immigrants are illegal and cannot be employed? Is that not already inherent in federal law?
The problem lies in the fact that federal officials have turned a blind eye on this issue. They talk about it but do little to help the problem. Sure, they talk about a fence or wall on our southern border. Unfortunately, this blockade will go directly through US towns, split a college campus. There is no sense in what our “leaders” are trying to do.
The question is, will either presidential candidate - or any of the third party alternatives – do anything to help this situation?
