Nebraska Get Tough on Illegal Immigration

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Nebraska Voters Get Tough on Illegal Immigration

On Monday, June 21, the people of Fremont, Nebraska approved an ordinance by ballot referendum that seeks to crack down on illegal immigration. The ordinance, which passed 57 percent to 43 percent, prohibits the renting of apartments to illegal aliens and requires all employers in the area to use the E-Verify database to confirm that their new hires have legal authorization to work in the United States. (Fremont Tribune, June 22, 2010).

The citizens of Fremont, a meat-packing town in eastern Nebraska with about 25,000 residents, expressed concern about losing their jobs to illegal aliens and the Federal government’s continued refusal to enforce immigration laws. “Most people would agree that the illegal immigration issue is one that needs to be dealt with, but for whatever reasons the federal and state governments have been either unwilling or unable to address the issue, so it fell upon the concerned citizens on the local level to step up and take control of their future,” said State Senator Charlie Janssen. (Fremont Tribune, June 22, 2010). The Fremont City Council, which originally challenged the ordinance in court, is expected to certify the election results next week. “We’ll just go ahead and follow the will of the people. We just need to implement it and move forward,” noted Mayor Skip Edwards. (Fremont Tribune, June 22, 2010). The ordinance will take effect 30 days from the date of certification. (Id.).

Anti-enforcement advocates are already lining up to challenge the ordinance. The Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already stated that it will sue to block the ordinance from taking effect. ACLU of Nebraska Executive Director Laurel Marsh called the ordinance “un-American and unconstitutional.” (ACLU Press Release, June 22, 2010). ACLU of Nebraska Legal Director Amy Miller criticized the people of Fremont, stating: “There is no rational reason for Fremont to be worried about protecting our border.” (The Washington Post, June 24, 2010). FAIR Press Secretary Bob Dane, on the other hand, praised Fremont: “Fremont is an example of ‘If Washington won’t, Nebraskans will.”