Hazelton v. New Haven

John Christoffersen and Michael Rubinkam, of the Associated Press, contrast the two cities’ treatment of undocumented immigrants:         

New Haven and Hazleton, Pa., two Northeastern cities led by descendants of Italian immigrants, are just 200 miles from each other on a map. But they are worlds apart when it comes to dealing with illegal immigration.

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, a Republican, has said that illegal immigration is “destroying” his working-class city of 30,000 and driving up crime. He pushed through an ordinance copied by towns and cities around the nation that would penalize landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and businesses that hire them. A federal judge could rule as early as this week on its constitutionality.

New Haven’s John DeStefano, a Democrat, has embraced illegal immigrants as an important part of New Haven’s economic and social fabric. The city of 125,000 already prohibits police from asking about their immigration status.

On Tuesday, DeStefano launched a program to provide illegals with ID cards that will enable them to open bank accounts and give them access to many city services.

How did two Northeastern cities wind up on opposite sides of the issue? One main reason given is that New Haven, the home of Yale University, has a long and rich history of liberal politics, unlike Hazleton, a conservative city in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, 95 miles from Philadelphia. Click here for the rest of the story.

bh