Constitutional Law
3rd Circuit Strikes Down Town’s Penalties for Hiring and Renting to Illegal Aliens
A federal appeals court has struck down a Pennsylvania town’s penalties for landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and businesses that employ them.
The Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the ordinance enacted by Hazleton, Pa., interfered with federal authority over immigration, according to stories by the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Associated Press. The New York Times posted the ruling (PDF).
Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta vowed to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. A case already pending there deals with an Arizona immigration law that requires employers to verify that their workers are eligible for employment and penalizes those who knowingly hire illegal aliens.