December 19, 2006

For Immediate Release

PA Town to Ban Santa Because He is Undocumented Worker

The people of Hazleton, PA are proud to announce a citizen-organized public awareness campaign called "No Santa for Hazleton." The campaign will use Santa Claus' status as America's most-loved illegal worker to demonstrate Hazleton's new "zero tolerance" policy toward illegal aliens.

Hazleton has been at the forefront of the War on Immigration since this past summer, when, in response to a surge in illegal immigration, the city passed its `Illegal Immigrant Relief Act.`

The public response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Mayor Lou Barletta`s heroics gained the town national attention, including appearances on '60 Minutes' and CNN`s 'Lou Dobbs Tonight.' Following Hazelton`s example, over 30 other towns across America have passed or are considering similar laws to drive out illegal immigration and labor.

This Christmas, a grassroots coalition of concerned citizens and elected officials have come together to conduct a public awareness campaign against the nation`s most prominent undocumented worker: Santa Claus. The group intends to keep Santa out of Hazleton this Christmas, as he represents everything the town has rallied around Mayor Barletta to oppose. According to the Mayor, "We are waging a war of culture, and Santa is a dangerous idea whose reign must be put to an end."

The group's website lists the following evidence against Santa Claus:

-- Santa is not an American nor is he legally recognized for residency or occupational purposes in this country. Oblivious to this fact, millions of Americans delight in inviting him into their homes and allowing him to work unsupervised every year. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to his costume and demeanor.

-- Santa does not work alone, but employs hundreds to thousands of elves in what are clearly described as sweatshop or slave labor-type conditions. This takes jobs away from honest and hard-working Americans who play by the rules.

Appearing unlawfully for too long to remember, Santa Claus has come to represent a range of labor practices that undercut the American workforce in favor of unfair foreign competition or informal domestic laborers. Across America, the economies of small cities like Hazleton have been decimated as a result.

For further information, the group has launched a website, www.NoSantaForHazleton.com, which will serve as a resource for the town and a model for other towns to adopt in a national movement. The website will be used to collect donations to air a television advertisement the group has prepared, but includes additional features such as tips for parents to talk to their children about Santa, and an internet action tool for people of all ages to send letters to Santa asking him to stay away. In Hazleton, as the No Santa For Hazleton looks boldy to the future, this Christmas promises to be like no other.

ENDS