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On 07/26/2007, a federal judge declared unconstitutional the entire ordinance
passed during July 2006 by the City of Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Judge James M.
Munley in a 206 page opinion ruled that "Federal law prohibits Hazleton from
enforcing any of its provisions of its ordinances." The City had sought to impose
fines on businesses that hire and penalize landlords who rent to undocumented
immigrants. The Court found that the city exceeded its police powers, violated the
Supremacy Clause of the U. S. Constitution, violated the 14th Amendment and
violated the freedom to contract of illegal aliens, who are persons under our federal
civil rights statutes. The City intends to appeal. To read the decision, click here.

This federal court ruling casts doubt on the enforceability of numerous local law
promulgated by towns and cities in the rush to control the estimated 12 million
undocumented immigrants within the United State, including that of Sycamore
Township in Hamilton County, Ohio. Trustees there on 6/21/2007 voted to fine any
contractor on a township project $5,000 or 10% of the total value of the project,
whichever is higher, if that contractor is caught using illegal immigrants.

Not to be deterred or discouraged are Ohio Representative Courtney Combs and
Senator Gary Cates, who at the urging of Sheriff Richard Jones of Butler County,
Ohio is proposing to introduce into the Ohio, yet another round of bills directed at
undocumented immigrants. They propose to:
o Require public employers to use a "status verification system" when hiring new
employees.
o Require jails & prisons to make a reasonable effort to determine inmate
citizenship.
o Prohibit employers from laying off citizen employees in favor of aliens.
o Require public agencies to verify that people who apply for certain public benefits
are U.S. citizens or "qualified aliens."
o Regulate non-resident tuition and fees at state colleges and universities.
o Establish a fraudulent-documents identification unit within the Ohio Department of
Public Safety to snare fake IDs.

To read the draft proposed by Mr. Combs, click here.

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Special Immigration Ohio Page

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The photograph above shows one of the two now
infamous "ILLEGAL ALIENS HERE" signs posted by
Sheriff Richard K. Jones in front of the Butler County
Jail in the City of Hamilton, Ohio.

known as Abram, heard God tell him to get outof his country and from his father's
house to a land that God will reveal. Abram, whose obedience is renowned, complied.

Many know this immigration saga of Abram, but there is more. For all was not well in
the earlyPromised Land - there was a severe famine and Abram and his family were
forced to move again, this time further south .... For rest of reflection click here.

On 03/31/2006, the Cincinnati Coalition for
Comprehensive Immigration Reform presented a
gathering of religious leaders in support of immigration
reform at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains,
Cincinnati, Ohio. Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk
made an opening statement together with Cincinnati
Councilmember David Crowley, and many others,
urging the U. S. Congress to pass immigration reform
that is comprehensive and fair.

On 03/11/2006, Sister Alice Gerdeman of the
Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center spoke in
support of the McCain- Kennedy immigration reform
bill (also known as Secure America & Orderly
Immigration Act) at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral,
Cincinnati. The keynote speaker was Leo
Anchondo, National Manager of the Justice for
Immigrants Campaign. The complex issue of
immigration reform and the plethora of opposing bills
promise to take up much energy of Congress.

Key issues are how to
secure America's
borders, and what to
do with an estimated
11 - 12 million
undocumented aliens -
whether to grant them
amnesty, guest worker
status, or deport them
as felons?

Do YOU have a
comment on these
ISSUES? To chip
in and be heard,
click here.

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EATING IN AMERICA
WITHOUT CHOPSTICKS

I love eating Chinese food and especially
that cooked by my dear mother. To this
day, I adhere to the belief that Chinese
Cuisine is the best in the world. After we
were married in Cincinnati, my wife and I
would invite our old friends to our home for
dinner. My wife, who was born in Taiwan,
also cooks Chinese and loves to serve
Chinese food to dinner guests. But ever
since my childhood days in multicultural
Malaysia, I acquired the habit of using a
fork at meals. Once at table, a dinner guest,
a friend of my wife who is also from
Taiwan, saw me commence to eat without
chopsticks and asked me, in a sharp,
disapproving tone in Chinese, this question:
“Why are you [a Chinese] not using
chopsticks?” The first time this happened
to me, it was in my home where I was the
host, and the outspoken objector, my invited
guest. I was frankly taken completely by
surprise and my jaw dropped and I had a
hard time keeping the food from falling out.
There was an awkward silence for what
seemed like infinity. I looked at him and
saw that he had been properly provided with
chopsticks. He glared back at me. It was
I, the host and master of the house
(together with my wife) who was affronting
him, a dinner guest! A range of emotions
passed through my brain. Finally, I decided
to keep my decorum and out of sheer
courtesy for my guest, for he was not only
a friend of my wife, but also her former
tutor, I quietly asked my wife to bring me a
pair of chopsticks. A broad smile beamed
from my guest and dinner was finished
before things got too cold.

I have had this same protest directed at me
at other Chinese social events. Over the
years, as I grew older and more set in my
ways, I simply smile at my detractor,
silently dismiss the comment as a lack of
dining etiquette and continue eating Chinese
food with a fork, as I preferred. These
days, when I felt sufficiently feisty, I even
rebuke that person for not speaking in
English, as the chopsticks demand is
inevitably made in Chinese .

I feel the same way about the failure to use
English in public, and especially in political
discourse. This is why I feel that it is a poor
idea to publicly sing the “Star-Spangled
Banner,” especially in the context of
political protest, in any other language than
the original composed English by Francis
Scott Key in 1814. And so it is for "Nuestro
Himno."

An Opinion by Charleston C. K. Wang,
Publisher.

IMMIGRATION REFORM 2006

Key issues are how to secure
America's borders, and what to
do with an estimated 11 - 12
million undocumented aliens -
whether to grant them amnesty,
guest worker status, or deport
them as felons?

Do YOU have a comment
on these ISSUES? To chip
in and be heard, click here.

Immigration
OPINION

The New Colossus
Emma Lazarus (1883)

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles.

From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome;
her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp! cries she
With silent lips.

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

CLICK ON PHOTO

ARCHBISHOP DANIEL E. PILARCZYK ADDRESSES
IMMIGRATION REFORM

Click on Photo

Those who would give up
Essential Liberty to
purchase a little Temporary
Safety, deserve neither
Liberty nor Safety -
Benjamin Franklin (1759).

Abraham was an Immigrant: A Theological Reflection

Abraham is widely accepted as a patriarch of the three
great monotheistic faiths of the World. Abraham was an
immigrant. His father, Terah was from the land of Ur of
the Chaldeans (somewhere in present day Iraq) and while
the tribe was resting at Haran, Terah died. Abraham, then

Click Here to read Op-Ed in
Cincinnati Enquirer 7/20/06

House Bill No. 654 has been introduced into the 126th General Assembly of the State of Ohio by
establishing an Office of Immigration Compliance in the Attorney General's office, and seeks to
prohibit the issuance of a concealed carry permit to an illegal alien, to prohibit the provision of a bail
bond to an illegal alien, to restrict the provision of public benefits to illegal aliens, to limit the
rendering of immigration or nationality services, to adopt other provisions related to the
employment of unauthorized aliens and the education and transportation of illegal aliens and to
define terms related to aliens and immigrants. On 09/12/2006, hearings were held before the
Judiciary Committee and the following were highlighted in testimony as to the purpose of the
legislation:

* State agencies could not enter into contracts for public improvements, goods, or services, with
contractors who knowingly employ unauthorized aliens. Divisions found to have violated this would
be barred from bidding on additional state contracts for three months on a first offense and six
months on subsequent offenses.

* Illegal immigrant labor could not be used on projects financed through grants or loans from the
state. Violators would be required to pay back the assistance in full.

* To prevent unintended harassment of employers or contractors, such parties would be able to
claim as an affirmative defense that they made a good-faith effort to verify whether an employee
was an alien authorized to work, and that the alien had presented false documents.

* No adult could qualify for specified state public assistance programs without providing verification
of U.S. citizenship or meeting program requirements for alien status. Exceptions would include
cases such as disaster relief, emergency medical care, and in-kind services such as food pantries.

* Eligibility for state scholarships, financial aid, and in-state tuition would be limited to residents
residing legally in Ohio, codifying existing Board of Regents rules.

* The Ohio attorney general would pursue a memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Attorney's
Office on the enforcement of federal immigration laws in Ohio.

* Under the memorandum of agreement, the bill would establish an Office of Immigration
Compliance in the state attorney general's office to enforce federal and state laws, conduct
investigations, and serve as a liaison between Ohio and immigration-related agencies in the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security.

* The state attorney general would also seek a memorandum of agreement with the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. State Department to reimburse state agencies for
the cost incurred during the arrest, incarceration, and detention of illegal aliens.

* The director of Immigration Compliance would inform the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
of suspected aliens that have committed a felony. The courts would also be required to notify the
Office of Immigration Compliance when a suspected illegal alien has been convicted of a felony,
and to notify defendants both the immigration office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
that an illegal alien has pled guilty to a crime.

* The Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections would compile and provide a list of suspected
illegal immigrants serving a prison term to the Office of Immigration Compliance.

* Illegal aliens could not seek a surety bail bond due to risk of flight, though they could secure their
release by posting the full bail amount.

* Only legal residents, including temporary immigrants, could apply for a concealed-carry permit.

* The bill would also establish the Office of Immigration Outreach in the Ohio Department of Job
and Family Services in order to create an information clearinghouse on how to comply with federal
and state laws and to legally obtain benefits and services.

* The state attorney general would develop a model of code of ethics for non-attorneys who provide
immigration and nationality services. Any provider would have to be authorized under federal law.

* Aliens could not be transported in Ohio in exchange for money or other items of value in knowing
violation of the federal Immigration and Naturalization Act.

* An employer or other party would be prohibited from threatening to report an illegal alien to the
Office of Immigration Compliance or the U.S. Office of Homeland Security with the purpose of
obtaining money or unpaid labor.

* Immigration-related document fraud would carry a $50,000 fine.

Publisher's Comment: This Bill can be summarized as being generally anti-alien and many parts
of it carry provisions that already are covered or preempted by federal law. If passed it will have a
very negative impact on certain aliens in particular and their families who may even be U.S. citizens
and a chilling effect on immigration in general. Updated 3:00 PM 09/16/06

To read the entire House Bill No. 654. click here.
To return to main immigration page, click here.

Representative Bill Seitz of
Cincinnati introduces
anti-alien House Bill 654 into
Ohio General Assembly - see
report below.

ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF CHINA IS HERE - CLICK ON PHOTO

On 11/04/2006, the National
Underground Railroad and Freedom
and the University of Cincinnati
hosted a conference on Immigration:
The U.S. as a Melting Pot. The
rapport and confidence that will
enable youth to live in an increasingly
diverse community. Over 60 grade
9-12 students, our voices for the
future, participated in the lively
dialogue with great enthusiasm.
Shown is photo on left is Mr. Victor
M. Velez.

BY VOTING, WE
SAY NO TO
PEOPLE V. HALL

On 11/06/2006, the Alliance for Immigrant Women of the Young Women's Christian
Association (YWCA) sponsored a forum on violence against immigrant women and
victims of human trafficking. Shown in photograph above is Amelia Berry,
coordinator of the Alliance, welcoming the participants. The dialogue was facilitated
by Peter Block and was well attended by victim advocates, immigration
practitioners, and law enforcement officers. The Cincinnati Police Department was
represented by Lt. Col. Cindy M. Combs and a number of officers who work in this
emerging area. The National Conference for Community and Justice was also a
participant and was represented by Charleston C. K. Wang, Chair of its Issues
Committee and who practices immigration law.

Photocredit: Charleston C. K. Wang