PHILADELPHIA - October 24 - On Thursday, October 30, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of the city of Hazelton's local anti-immigrant law. The city's law would punish landlords and employers who are accused of renting to or hiring anyone the city classifies as an "illegal alien."

In a landmark ruling in July 2007, a federal district court struck down the anti-immigrant law as unconstitutional and in violation of federal civil rights laws. The Third Circuit is now considering Hazleton's appeal of that ruling.

The case has been closely watched across the country and is the only lawsuit challenging a state or local anti-immigrant law to have been decided after a full trial.

The Hazelton ordinance was adopted in August 2006, and a lawsuit challenging the law was immediately filed on behalf of Hazleton residents, landlords and business owners by a civil rights coalition including the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (now LatinoJustice PRLDEF), the Community Justice Project and the law firm of Cozen O'Connor.

Omar Jadwat, ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project staff attorney, and Vic Walczak, ACLU of Pennsylvania Legal Director, will argue on behalf of the coalition that the city law is unconstitutional.

Friend-of-the-court briefs opposing the Hazleton law have been filed by numerous civil rights, religious and business organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Jewish Committee, Capuchin Franciscan Friars, Lutheran Children and Family Services, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Legal Momentum, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the Anti-Defamation League and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Attorneys from the ACLU, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the Community Justice Project and the law firm of Cozen O'Connor will be available to answer questions from the media after the hearing.

WHO: ACLU of Pennsylvania Legal Director Vic Walczak and ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project staff attorney Omar Jadwat

WHAT: Oral arguments in Lozano v. Hazleton appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit before federal appeals judges Theodore A. McKee, Richard L. Nygaard and Eugene E. Siler, Jr.

WHEN: Thursday, October 30, 2008, 1:30 p.m. EST

WHERE: The Albert Branson Maris Courtroom
              21400 United States Courthouse
              601 Market Street
              Philadelphia, Pa 19106-1790

More information on the case, Lozano v. Hazleton, is online at: www.aclu.org/hazleton