Latino Task Force of Monroe County

The Latino Task Force of Monroe  County (LTF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, was created in the summer of 2006 in response to an attempt by the Borough of Mount Pocono to introduce a Hazleton-style immigration ordinance. 

 

LTF successfully stopped the approval of this illegal immigration ordinance by building a coalition of community leaders, concerned citizens, and elected officials, that included individuals from all racial and ethnic backgrounds residing in Monroe, Luzerne, and Lackawanna counties. 

So far, LTF is the first organization in the State that has stopped an illegal immigration ordinance through a community-wide response.

The approach taken toward this challenge was one of dialogue and respect which took into consideration the concerns of local elected officials regarding illegal immigration, and that utilized facts and respectful discourse. 

The Monroe County Committee to Stop the Hazleton-Style Ordinance, convened by the LTF to oppose the ordinance, underscored in its Open Letter and meetings with Mt. Pocono Borough officials that such an ordinance would: increase the financial burden on local taxpayers; expose landlords and business owners to potential discrimination suits; expose newcomers of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to discrimination; and would create a divide between them and longtime residents.  

 

As a result of its approach, LTF members currently partake of an ongoing respectful and productive relationship with representatives of the Mt. Pocono Borough Council and with other local elected officials.