The law was modeled on one passed earlier this summer in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, which also sanctions landlords for renting to workers without documents and established English as the “official language” of that eastern Pennsylvania town.

The version being considered in Palm Bay, a city with some 90,000 residents located on the east coast of central Florida, made no mention of housing or making English the official language. Those sections were removed after a similar ordinance was defeated in the city of Avon Park, Florida, in July. Its sponsors also removed a statement that “illegal aliens” cause crime after an early draft ignited local protests.

A vigil held before the meeting at the nearby Our Lady of Grace church drew 200 people.

“I am here so that they will straighten out that proposed law for us all,” said José, 20, a local construction worker who joined the protest and asked that his last name not be used.

After the vigil, hundreds marched to the city council meeting, outnumbering the rightists who turned out to support the measure.

“I hear most crimes are committed by immigrants and that immigrants are taking jobs. But people are not here to be a problem, only to look for a better life,” Pastor Rafael St. Juste from Ft. Lauderdale, said in an interview.

“My program is simple,” Omari Musa, the Socialist Workers Party candidate for governor of Florida, told the meeting. “Amnesty. Legalization for all the undocumented. An end to document checks for employment. We welcome our immigrant brothers and sisters here.”

“Our country is being invaded by an insidious enemy—and Americans want the invasion stopped,” Don Wassmer, a supporter of the anti-immigrant measure, told the council.

Others blamed low wages and unemployment on immigrants. “We have a tremendous illegal alien problem—it's killing us,” said David Caulkett of the group Floridians Against Illegal Immigration, one of several rightist organizations represented at the meeting.

But with the rightists in the minority, two city council members who had initially voted for the ordinance withdrew their support.

“Because we heard from the residents, I cannot support the ordinance,” said council member Donna Brooks. She reported that of the 68 speakers, 48 spoke against the ordinance. Two other council members then spoke against the proposed measure.

Cheers broke out when it was clear that it did not have the votes to win. At 12:30 a.m. the measure died without coming to a vote, as it became clear that only one of the five council members supported it.
 
 
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‘We’re workers, not criminals!’
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In tour of Boston, leader of struggle for immigrant rights campaigns for legalization
Chicago: Arellano wins support against deportation wins support
La migra arrests 326 immigrants in Houston raids  
 
 
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