The press has reported widely on the campaign instigated by authorities in Hazelton, PA to toughen local laws against illegal immigration. But there is another trend that is also gaining momentum: More and more cities, including large ones like Seattle and Cambridge, MA, are passing legislation to ease the lives of undocumented residents.
According to the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), over 20 cities have already taken steps to help these people. A similar number of municipalities are considering different ways of supporting the undocumented through legislation.
New Jersey, where the presence of undocumented immigrants can be felt everywhere, is taking the lead in this process. According to FIRM, one out of every 17 residents of the Garden State is undocumented.
While supporters of the crackdown on illegal immigration view Hazelton as their torchbearer, opponents applaud the efforts of Hightstown, NJ, which one Spanish-language newspaper called "paradise for the undocumented.”
After a raid in Hightstown by federal agents caused a scandal two years ago, it did not seem possible that the city could become the symbolic center of resistance to the anti-immigration movement. However, it was here that an immigrant bill of rights was recently passed. This bill gives undocumented residents the right to seek assistance from local law enforcement bodies and to use the town's social services agencies.
“I believe that this is the only policy we can follow under these circumstances,” said Hightstown Mayor Robert Patten, a Republican. “Without immigrants, our city would not have a future. New businesses have been opened in Hightstown thanks to immigrants, and vacancies at local businesses have been filled by immigrants. The town has come alive and become younger. We don’t conceal our self-interest. We tell them: We need you, make yourselves at home.”
While local undocumented immigrants are studying English, Patten and his wife Katie are taking Spanish classes.
Last month the mayor held a Day of Health for undocumented residents and arranged for medical checkups.
The Hightstown Police Department supports the mayor's policy. After the bill of rights was passed, immigrants stopped fearing the police, which had an immediate effect on the number of criminal cases solved in the city.
New Haven, CT, home to over 120,000 people and Yale University, could soon become another paradise for undocumented immigrants.
It was not, however, a discovery made by researchers that attracted America's attention, but an initiative introduced by the city's mayor John DeStefano, a Democrat. Two years ago he stunned opponents of legalization in Connecticut and the country with his proposal to issue New Haven’s undocumented residents municipal IDs for use in the city. He also announced plans to recruit bilingual workers for city agencies. Police Chief Francisco Ortiz supported the proposal.
Reaction was fiery. Paul Streitz, head of Citizens for Immigration Control, and Mark Boughton, mayor of Danbury, CT slammed the proposal. Boughton is known for calling on the state to deputize state troopers as immigration agents.
“This is an absurd idea,” said Streitz at the time. “If we start issuing IDs to illegal immigrants, then illegal immigrants from other states will make their way here."
Understanding that he had gone a little too far, DeStefano, who planned to run for governor, took a step back. In interviews with the local and national press, he stated that he had been misunderstood.
“I am seriously considering this idea,” he said, “but it is not something we are going to go ahead with at this time. First we have to make sure that local governments have the authority to take this step."
Hot on the heels of the mayor’s appearance, several experts stated that issuing municipal IDs to undocumented immigrants would not contradict state or federal laws.
DeStefano put off his initiative for two years. He now believes that its time has come and intends to start issuing IDs in June. With the new IDs, the undocumented will be able to open bank accounts, rent apartments, and get library cards. If nothing upsets DeStefano’s plans, New Haven really will become a paradise for undocumented immigrants.
Americans have mixed feelings about both legal and illegal immigration. In a Washington Post poll, 29 percent of respondents felt that new immigrants have a positive effect on life in their cities. Another 29 percent felt the opposite. Thirty-nine percent said they did not notice any difference.
