By Colby Itkowitz

WASHINGTON -- After just a little more than 100 days in office, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, who gained national attention for implementing strict anti-illegal immigration laws as mayor of Hazleton, has made the topic his first solo initiative on Capitol Hill.

Standing alone at a podium before a sprinkling of reporters Wednesday morning, Barletta said he was in the process of crafting a bill that would withhold all federal funding from so-called "sanctuary cities," those that do not fully enforce federal immigration laws.

The freshman Republican, who represents Carbon and Monroe counties, also has asked the Congressional Research Service to calculate how much each such city -- there are more than 100 in the U.S. -- receives in federal taxpayer dollars.

"If the federal government wants to sue the state of Arizona because it claims the state is breaking federal law, then it should also sue the mayors of sanctuary cities because they are willfully breaking federal immigration law," Barletta said. "Local elected officials who choose to ignore enforcement of federal immigration policy are aiding and assisting illegal aliens. … They should not receive millions or even billions in tax dollars as a reward."

Read the rest: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/mc-lou-barletta-illegal-immigration-20110504,0,7481515.story