Immigration

As the mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Rep. Barletta introduced the Illegal Immigration Relief Act in 2006. The IIRA was the first local law of its kind in the nation. It cracked down on local employers who knowingly hired illegal aliens and landlords who knowingly provided refuge to them.  His concentrated effort served as a blueprint for other jurisdictions, such as Valley Park, Missouri; Fremont, Nebraska; and the State of Arizona, to enact their own anti-illegal immigration legislation.  On May 26, 2011, the United States Supreme Court ruled that states have the right to create and enforce their own anti-illegal immigration policies. A few days later, the high court overturned the lower court rulings that prevented the City of Hazleton from enforcing the IIRA, and ordered a federal circuit court to re-hear the case.

In Washington, Rep. Barletta continues to fight for the rule of law. He founded the 112th Class Immigration Caucus, which will newly-elected Members of Congress the ability to tackle our nation’s illegal immigration crisis. 

On May 31, 2011, Rep. Barletta introduced H.R. 2057, the Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities (MASC) Act.  If enacted, this legislation would prohibit sanctuary cities – those whose mayors and elected officials willfully ignore federal immigration law – from receiving all federal funding.  Rep. Barletta believes mayors and governors should not be able to pick and choose what laws they will enforce.  Presently, H.R. 2057 awaits action in the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement in the House Judiciary Committee. 

Rep. Barletta also strongly opposes H.R. 2885, the Legal Workforce Act, which would require all businesses to use the E-Verify program, a national system that checks the status of workers.  On paper this sounds like a bill that Rep. Barletta would normally support, but the Legal Workforce Act infringes upon state rights to enforce immigration laws because it includes a preemption clause. That clause prevents states and local jurisdictions from acting against businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens until the federal government acts.  This means the Legal Workforce Act bars states and municipalities from enforcing their own laws that punish businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens. After fighting illegal immigration for more than five years, Rep. Barletta knows that the federal government will not enforce yet another law against illegal immigration. He is sure that states and local jurisdictions will.

If you would like more information about this issue, please contact my Washington, D.C., office.