EASTON, Pa. — Mayor Sal Panto Jr. on Wednesday addressed a statement he made at a previous council, saying he had misused a term that conflated immigrants with criminals.
But not everyone on council, or in the community, is buying it.
Panto touched upon the issue at the start of council’s Feb. 26 meeting, acknowledging that a statement he made during commentary on a Welcoming City ordinance introduced Feb. 12 painted all immigrants as illegals and/or criminals.
“I can't stand that we're here trying to do an ordinance to protect illegals," Panto said at the Feb 12 meeting. "These people commit crimes. We don't want crime in our city.
"I mean, if you vote for this ordinance, you are voting to have crime in your city.”
Panto said the comment was misspoken and misconstrued because of his becoming impassioned by the subject matter.
“I’m very passionate about keeping crime out of our city, and I used the word ‘illegals’ instead of ‘criminals.’ I never meant to say that all immigrants are illegals — I never said that, and neither did the chief."Easton Mayor Sal Panto
“I’m very passionate about keeping crime out of our city, and I used the word ‘illegals’ instead of ‘criminals,’" Panto said. "I never meant to say that all immigrants are illegals.
"I never said that, and neither did the chief.”
Panto said another council member claimed he said immigrants were criminals.
Panto said he had been addressing criminals entering the community; people engaging in criminal activity outside of their status as an illegal immigrant.
Panto said he had supported and voted in favor of a bill allowing immigrants without legal paperwork to procure drivers’ licenses.
Panto credited an intern, who was a Dreamer whose father had to commute to Phillipsburg illegally in his car without a license, for the inspiration.
Adding a reference to the concept that “we’re all immigrants,” Panto stated that Native Americans had traversed the Bering Strait to enter this land, as well.
“I really believe that, we always say, and I think I’ve said it 1,000 times in my last 18 years, that the diversity of our city is one of our strengths,” Panto said.
'It's on the record'
Later, Panto added that his grandparents were immigrants who worked at the local railroads and Bethlehem Steel.
“So for me to be against immigrants is not what I meant, nor was it what I said," he said. "I do believe that immigrants do not belong here if they are committing criminal activity.”
The mayor said he dislikes when lies are spread about his views — not indicating precisely to whom he was referring — leading to “all of the sudden, we have a controversy in the community.”
Panto also said he would not vote in favor of Sanctuary City or Welcoming City measures — Councilwoman Taiba Sultana is currently trying to introduce a Welcoming City ordinance — "as they are redundant.”
“I quoted exactly what you said."Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana, to Mayor Sal Panto
“If you’re breaking the law, you’re breaking the law," Panto said.
"But I believe that immigration is something that the Congress should take up, and we should make a pathway to citizenship in this great country of ours much easier than what it is."
After Panto made another reference to a council person lying about the matter on social media — “that person has misrepresented me, my family, and I wish it would stop” — Sultana responded.
Sultana said she had not lied about Panto.
“I quoted exactly what you said,” she said, referencing the live streaming of the meeting.
“So you can’t really say I lied. It’s on the record… Four different newspapers…,” Sultana said before Panto interjected.
Vice Mayor Ken Brown advised Sultana to keep her voice down before responding.
“It’s on the record: Four different newspapers quoted him, the exact words he said," Sultana said. "So there’s no lying.
"If he thinks that’s a lie, he may want to reach out to the newspapers to tell them to remove that. It’s not a lie; it’s on the public record."
'Easton is a welcoming city'
Brown said that at that point in the meeting, the mayor had already clarified what his statement should have been, and advised council to move forward.
Panto stated, “Stop posting lies on Facebook,” which spurred Sultana to begin to respond before Brown ultimately called for a point of order to conclude the discussion.
Resident Ronald Johnson later spoke during public comment, reading a letter from Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen, a resident of neighboring Wilson.
“The words of local leaders reverberate even louder than before."A letter from Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen, read by resident Ronald Johnson
Moritz-Chapelliquen had written a Feb. 23 opinion piece for The Morning Call entitled “Easton mayor’s comments on Welcoming City proposal shows why ordinance is needed.”
Moritz-Chapelliquen’s letter stated, “an apology for poor communication or for sincerely meaning these things would clarify this immediately.”
However, it went on to raise questions about Panto falling back on his record supporting immigration, and suggested that the heart of the city of Easton was not present in the comments made by Panto at the previous meeting.
“The words of local leaders reverberate even louder than before," Johnson read from the letter.
"As I stated in my op-ed, I believe Easton is a welcoming city. It can be more welcoming. And it can achieve this without impacting public safety.”
Sultana thanked Johnson before stating that she deserved Panto’s apology. Panto said he had apologized and meant it, with Brown acknowledging his actions.
At least one person attending the meeting stated Panto's commentary did not constitute an apology.
Following the meeting, Sultana said she still is reviewing her Welcoming City ordinance language with the American Civil Liberties Union, and intends to introduced it at the next council meeting.
The subject matter regarding politicians' views on immigration have become a hot topic lately.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has appeared at least twice at Northampton County Prison since Jan. 31 to detain immigrants after they were released.
