State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12) submitted a bill, May 5, that would give state and local in Pennsylvania powers akin to those held by Arizona authorities under that state’s recently passed law, and require that “every agency or political subdivision of this Commonwealth shall verify the lawful presence in the United States of any natural person 18 years of age or older who has applied for Federal public benefits, State public benefits or local public benefits . . that are administered by an agency or a political subdivision of this Commonwealth” with some exceptions such as treatment of an emergency medical condition, in-kind emergency disaster relief, immunizations and services such as soup kitchens and short-term shelter.
House Bill 2479, or the Support our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Act, prohibits any political subdivision from adopting policy restricting enforcement of Federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by Federal law — are you reading Mayor Nutter — requires every law enforcement officer, whether state or local , who “has lawfully stopped, detained or arrested, for a violation of a law of this Commonwealth or any political subdivision” and who should be reasonably suspected of being unlawfully present in the United States” to make “a complete, full and appropriate attempt shall be made to verify the person’s immigration status with the Federal Government.”
Another provision of the bill makes it a state law to knowingly employ an alien and creates a complaint form allowing any person to report a suspected violation to the district attorney of the county in which the employer conducts business.
The bill also makes it illegal for an unauthorized alien to “apply for work, solicit work in a public place or perform work as an employee or independent contractor” in the state.
The bill also allows police to impound vehicles of those suspected of being illegal aliens or transporting illegal aliens.
