News

September 2, 2007

Taking the message to Harrisburg

Immigration-reform advocates rally

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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HARRISBURG – Some were holding signs, banners and American flags. Others were wearing T-shirts with slogans, buttons and even patriotic costumes. They all came to the steps of the state Capitol on Saturday with a common purpose: to make known their opposition to illegal immigration.

The words on the signs and clothing of rally attendees echoed the overall message of many of the scheduled speakers. “Secure our borders; stop illegal immigrants; illegals kill 25 Americans everyday,” three of the signs read. The rally drew a crowd of about 150 to 200 people from across Pennsylvania.

Saturday’s was the seventh and final in a series of summer rallies throughout eastern Pennsylvania organized by Hazleton-based Voice of the People USA – a group formed to show support for Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta and his Illegal Immigration Relief Act.

Themed “Save America, Save Hazleton,” the rally was intended to prod legislators to take action on immigration reform and push for enforcement of immigration laws, which is lax, said Voice of the People chairman Frank Scavo, of Old Forge.

Scavo held his cell phone to the microphone after dialing the office of U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, a Democrat, and turned it to the crowd, who shouted, “Close the borders!” into his voice mail.

Scavo tried to do the same for Republican U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, but Specter’s voice mailbox was full and not accepting messages.

As they did at previous rallies, Scavo and other speakers urged attendees to call their federal and state elected officials to demand immigration reform.

Those at the rally knew they had the ear of at least one state representative – Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler County.

Metcalfe, who founded State Legislators for Legal Immigration, said he has sponsored legislation that would “go after employers who are hiring illegals, … go after public benefits that illegals are able to tap into, and … ensure that our law enforcement is able to enforce immigration law in Pennsylvania.”

Metcalfe said some say it’s impossible to round up all illegal immigrants for deportation. “I say you don’t have to round them up. If you shut off the economic faucet, you shut off their jobs, you shut off the benefits, they’ll go home on their own,” he said.

Ed Kowalski, of 9/11 Families for a Secure America, rattled off a list of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, beginning with the rape and murder of his 17-year-old niece by Ariel Mendez, an illegal immigrant who was convicted of the crimes in May.

Robert Goldsborough, president of Americans for Immigration Control, focused on “American workers who are being put out of work and having their wages lowered because of illegal aliens.”

“This seems to fail to move our Congressmen in Washington. Both parties are guilty of it. One party wants cheap labor, the other party wants cheap votes. They don’t care if they sacrifice the American worker, … our security, our safety,” he said.

Next to speak was Joey Vento, owner of Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia.

Vento made national headlines a few days before Barletta first proposed Hazleton’s illegal immigration law in June 2006 when he posted a sign at his restaurant that read: “This is America. When ordering, please speak English.”

An initial version of Hazleton’s law, which would have fined landlords and sanctioned businesses that rented to or employed illegal immigrants, included a clause making English Hazleton’s official language.

A federal judge struck down the law and a related tenant registration ordinance in July. The city appealed the decision to the U.S. Third Circuit Court.

Vento said “these illegal invaders … are not the kind of immigrants our grandparents were. … They knew to be successful in America, you have to speak English.”

Vento said “the Spanish people will never be prosperous … as long as they read Spanish in school,” and he urged people to vote for candidates “who will secure our borders.”

Frank Jorge, of Latino Americans for Immigration Reform, came from California to say he is a legal immigrant from Cuba who believes that America has been lost to the interests of multinational corporations that depend on cheap immigrant labor.

Mariann Davies, an attorney with You Don’t Speak for Me and the daughter of legal immigrants from Ecuador, said “we expect everyone to follow the rules, no matter where they come from.”

Dan Smeriglio, founder of Voice of the People, said he was pleased with the turnout and called the rally a success.

“Of course there could have been more, but we got enough people out there to make our point. … Our job is to make people aware of what’s been going on around them, get them to stand up and address the issues, and they’ve been doing that,” said Smeriglio, 24, of Hazleton.

Steve Smith, 36, of Dunmore, said he came to the rally to show his support for Smeriglio’s group because “every nation should have their borders secure.”

Derek Bargeld, 32, of the Harrisburg area, said he writes about immigration issues for the Web site newsnet14.com and came because he’s afraid America will “become a third world country.”

Dressed as Thomas Jefferson, Dave Garry of Harrisburg said he came to promote the presidential campaign of Republican Ron Paul, who he said was “the only candidate” who wants to secure the borders.

A 54-year-old Pittsburgh area resident named Ann who declined to give her last name said money being spent on illegal immigrants for programs such as teaching their children English as a second language in schools is “taking money from things that America needs. Benefits should be going only to Americans.”

ON THE WEB

To watch video clips from the rally, visit the links under the photo.

Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 459-2005.

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