There is a serious debate to be had over illegal immigration. But certain actions and attitudes are simply, to borrow a term used by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, mean-spirited.

Last week a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled against the city of Hazleton, which sought to punish landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and employers who hire them. Besides usurping the power of the federal government, as the judge ruled, the local laws would have created more tension and distrust between neighbors and fostered rampant discrimination. It's no surprise that the law sought to make English the official language, a sure sign of prejudice over common sense.

Similarly misguided is Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello's plan to deputize local police as immigration officers, a largely symbolic move — with troubling symbolism at that.

Local officials would not be scrambling to tamp down local passions — or exploit them — were it not for a vacuum of leadership at the federal level. HIAS says this vacuum has led to an "anti-immigrant backlash in our communities that is reminiscent of the same backlash that Jews have historically faced upon reaching America's shores." The venerable immigration rights organization is seeking comprehensive immigration reform that offers a "path to citizenship to the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows; creates wider legal channels for future workers and worker protections; reunites families; and includes enforcement and border security measures that are meaningful, effective, and humane."

Immigration reform should be meaningful, not just mean.