Hazleton, Pennsylvania passed a tough illegal immigration law. As Expected™ activist groups are fighting the new law.

The city council of Hazleton, a former coal-mining town of some 31,000 people, late on Thursday passed a measure that will deny a business permit to anyone hiring illegal immigrants.

It also imposes a $1,000 fine on any landlord who rents to illegal immigrants, and establishes English as the town’s official language.

The ordinance states that illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, overcrowded classrooms and failing schools, imposes a financial burden on hospitals and reduces the quality of other public services in the town.

Hazleton boomed under a wave of Eastern European immigrants in the late 1800s, and has experienced a surge of Hispanic immigration in recent years. [Of course this had to be thrown in. Jim]

The townspeople are suffering from “the debilitating effects on their economic and social well being imposed by the influx of illegal aliens,” the regulation says, and the city has the authority to punish those who aid illegal aliens.

That’s how the town has reacted to this problem. And here’s the upcoming response.

A coalition including the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, which represents U.S. Latinos on immigration issues, say they will sue Hazleton in federal court.

Of course they will. Can’t have towns writing laws to protect themselves, can we?

Note: This post is the first in a new category, As Expected™. I’ve added it for those stories where the usual people do the usual things; usually to the detriment to the rest of us.

**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let us know at what level you would like to participate.