We are going to try and get folks (you) interested in calling for similar ordinances as the
"Illegal Immigration Relief Act" of Hazelton, PA, in their respective cities, nation wide. 
Read this, get inspired and take action in your town now! Theres a lot we can do together.

We urge you to call your own city council and find out how to get something like this 
going in your town. Use our site to invite others in your area to get an account and lets 
begin to network and make things happen. We don't have much time!

Submitted by Small Town Defender on Tue, 2007-03-13 23:00. ::

Small-town, blue-collar Hazleton, Pa., is deep in the heart of the Pocono Mountains. 
Today, it's at the very center of America's debate over illegal immigration, CBS 
News national correspondent Byron Pitts reports.

"Illegal immigration is draining our city's budget, and therefore, as a mayor, I took an 
oath of office to protect and defend our citizens — and that's what we're going to 
do," says Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta.

Barletta is defending the "Illegal Immigration Relief Act," passed by the City Council 
last summer in response to a sharp spike in crime attributed mostly to illegal immigrants. 
The city ordinance would fine landlords who rent to "illegals" or employers who hire them.

Demonstrators have decried the measure as both illegal and racist. Longtime 
residents say it has created tension in town. Some Latino families have moved out.

The matter is now before a federal judge in Scranton. The ACLU claims only the federal 
government can enact immigration law, while the city is arguing it has legal jurisdiction.

Whichever side wins, cities and towns across the country are watching. 
At least 30 municipalities have already passed a similar ordinance, and 
70 more are considering one.

For now, all sides in Hazleton agree on one thing: When it comes to illegal immigration, 
one resident notes, "The truth of the matter is for years and years we have a system that 
is broke and it has to be fixed."

The trial could take two weeks.

To offer support and read more on this battle go to Hazelton's official city web site at: 

http://www.smalltowndefenders.com/