NWA news has this from from Benton County Daily Record

http://www.nwanews.com/brog/News/41080/


Ripple effect
By Jennifer Turner Staff Writer // jennifert@nwanews.com
Posted on Thursday, November 2, 2006


ROGERS — Less than a week after Rogers Mayor Steve Womack revealed plans to emulate a Pennsylvania town’s effort to crack down on illegal immigration through city ordinances, those ordinances were temporarily blocked by a federal judge. Womack asked Rogers aldermen last week to review ordinances created in Hazleton, Pa., to punish those who employ and house illegal immigrants. Womack said many of the crime-related problems in Rogers involve illegal immigrants, and an ordinance aimed at employers and landlords who employ or rent to the illegals could serve as a solution.

On Tuesday, Judge James M. Munley in the U. S. District Court for the middle district of Pennsylvania issued a temporary order blocking the ordinances from being enforced in Hazleton. He said the laws could cause irreparable harm to the city’s residents. The ordinances were challenged in court by local business owners and residents who said they would be negatively impacted by the ordinances. Rogers attorney Ben Lipscomb said Wednesday the judge’s ruling will affect how the Rogers ordinance is drafted.

Munson’s ruling states that potential harm to the city is not greater than potential harm faced by plaintiffs as some legal immigrants risked losing their homes and businesses because of the law. The most disturbing part of the ruling, Lipscomb said, is the reasonable probability of eventual success on the merits.

“ It is sufficient to note, (the ) plaintiff has raised serious claims, and there is a reasonable probability of success on the merits on one or more of the claims, ” Munley wrote.
Also, the ruling states Hazleton had not supported any of its “ vague complaints about the presence of illegal immigrants” with hard evidence or statistics.

Lipscomb would not say if Rogers has evidence or statistics to back up the city’s claims.
“ We are still in the process of determining that, ” he said. “ I believe there is at least anecdotal evidence that a great percentage of crimes that are committed by immigrants are committed by illegal immigrants, but that is just anecdotal. ” Lipscomb noted that most aliens come to the United States to work. To do that, illegal immigrants must obtain fraudulent documents or work for cash only — both illegal activities.

Even before the federal judge’s ruling, Lipscomb planned to draft a significantly different version of the Hazleton ordinances for Rogers, with strengthened nuisance language. The proposed ordinance will be complaint-based, and complaints must be written in an affidavit and notarized. Lipscomb had planned to have a draft ordinance prepared by the end of this week, but after the Hazleton ruling, he said he needs more time.

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Womack will make the immigration proposal on November 14th 2006 as Rogers City Council Meeting. It will be at New City Hall at 301 W. Chestnut, 621-1117. Should be at 7:30pm.