aGameOfThrones
02-11-2014, 04:00 AM
FREMONT, Neb. (AP) -- Residents of a small Nebraska city are getting a second chance to decide whether they want to remain on the forefront of the immigration debate.
Voters in Fremont will decide Tuesday whether to repeal an ordinance they enacted in 2010 that requires all renters to swear they have legal permission to live in U.S. Critics say the rules is less effective and more costly than anyone expected and is damaging to the city's image, but supporters say Fremont needs to take a stand against illegal immigration.
The conservative agricultural hub near Omaha, population 26,000, is one of a handful of cities that have acted on their own over the last decade to curb illegal immigration. Most of those efforts have become mired in costly court battles.
The same is true in Fremont, where the regulations were adopted in 2010 but put on hold while courts reviewed the law. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of the ordinance in 2013, and the city was getting ready to enforce the housing restrictions for the first time last fall when elected officials decided to schedule another vote.
Critics say these housing restrictions will be ineffective and might cost Fremont millions of dollars in legal fees and lost federal grants. But supporters see no reason not to enforce the law and take a stand against illegal immigration, now that courts have approved the rules.
"I don't think we should be re-voting on something that the voters already voted on in 2010," said lifelong Fremont resident Brad Yerger. The 66-year-old is skeptical that the ordinance will cost as much as officials estimate.
Opponents of the housing restrictions say they have hurt the city's reputation without accomplishing much.
"Most people agree we need to change our federal immigration system. This ordinance doesn't address that," Virginia Meyer said while taking a break from distributing roughly 500 yard signs encouraging people to vote against the rules.
Supporters insist the measure does not target Hispanics, but the topic can make for awkward conversation given Fremont's growing immigrant population. The number of Hispanics jumped from 165 in 1990 to 1,085 in 2000 and 3,149 in 2010, mostly because of jobs at the nearby Hormel and Fremont Beef plants.
The law passed with 57 percent of the vote. The key to Tuesday's outcome will be how many people have changed their minds and whether turnout surpasses the 6,916 people who cast ballots last time.
"I don't think it's so much that people have shifted (since 2010) as much as they are more aware of the issues," said Krista Anderson, who also campaigned against the original ordinance.
The town's small liberal arts university could be another factor. For this vote, Midland University's professors and 1,300 students will be on campus. The last vote took place during the school's summer break.
If the housing restrictions take effect, City Council members are worried about additional lawsuits. And the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development warned last year that Fremont could lose community-development grants that have been worth $7.1 million over the past 15 years.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nebraska-city-reconsider-2010-immigration-211406321.html
Update if anyone cares:
FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Residents of a small Nebraska city have reaffirmed their desire to take on illegal immigration.
Nearly 60 percent of Fremont voters decided Tuesday to keep an ordinance that requires all renters to swear they have legal permission to live in the U.S.
Voters first approved the rules by a smaller margin in 2010. Critics pushed for the new vote, saying the housing restrictions would be ineffective and might cost Fremont millions of dollars in legal fees and lost federal grants. They also said it was hurting the city's image.
But it wasn't enough to sway voters in the conservative agricultural hub near Omaha.
Fremont is one of only a handful of cities trying to restrict illegal immigration and, like those other cities, has found itself mired in court fights because of the regulations. City leaders put the ordinance on hold after the 2010 vote while courts reviewed it.
Now, some supporters are questioning whether city leaders will implement the ordinance, which was mostly upheld by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year. The city of 26,000 residents was getting ready to enforce the housing restrictions for the first time last fall when elected officials decided to schedule another vote.
"The mayor and city council need to listen to the people," said John Wiegert, who helped organize the petition drive that put the ordinance on the 2010 ballot. "The people have spoken twice."
Fremont resident Matt Kwiatkowski, who voted to keep the housing restrictions, said he doesn't have any problems with immigrants who legally come to the U.S., but he doesn't think the country should go easy on people living here illegally. He hopes Fremont's ordinance will help increase pressure on the federal government to do something about illegal immigration.
"I think more towns need to do this given that the federal government isn't doing its job," Kwiatkowski said.
Civil rights groups, which could still derail the ordinance by taking their challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court, said they would closely monitor Fremont's implementation of the rules.
"We are saddened by the result of today's vote, and will stand with those residents of Fremont who will be harmed by the unfortunate decision to allow a discriminatory housing ordinance to be implemented," Amy Miller, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, said Tuesday night.
The housing rules require anyone who rents a home or apartment to apply for a $5 permit and attest to their legal status, but there is no mandate to show proof. New permits are needed for every move, and landlords are required to make sure their tenants have permits or face a $100 fine.
http://news.yahoo.com/nebraska-city-keep-illegal-immigration-rules-122828046.html
Voters in Fremont will decide Tuesday whether to repeal an ordinance they enacted in 2010 that requires all renters to swear they have legal permission to live in U.S. Critics say the rules is less effective and more costly than anyone expected and is damaging to the city's image, but supporters say Fremont needs to take a stand against illegal immigration.
The conservative agricultural hub near Omaha, population 26,000, is one of a handful of cities that have acted on their own over the last decade to curb illegal immigration. Most of those efforts have become mired in costly court battles.
The same is true in Fremont, where the regulations were adopted in 2010 but put on hold while courts reviewed the law. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of the ordinance in 2013, and the city was getting ready to enforce the housing restrictions for the first time last fall when elected officials decided to schedule another vote.
Critics say these housing restrictions will be ineffective and might cost Fremont millions of dollars in legal fees and lost federal grants. But supporters see no reason not to enforce the law and take a stand against illegal immigration, now that courts have approved the rules.
"I don't think we should be re-voting on something that the voters already voted on in 2010," said lifelong Fremont resident Brad Yerger. The 66-year-old is skeptical that the ordinance will cost as much as officials estimate.
Opponents of the housing restrictions say they have hurt the city's reputation without accomplishing much.
"Most people agree we need to change our federal immigration system. This ordinance doesn't address that," Virginia Meyer said while taking a break from distributing roughly 500 yard signs encouraging people to vote against the rules.
Supporters insist the measure does not target Hispanics, but the topic can make for awkward conversation given Fremont's growing immigrant population. The number of Hispanics jumped from 165 in 1990 to 1,085 in 2000 and 3,149 in 2010, mostly because of jobs at the nearby Hormel and Fremont Beef plants.
The law passed with 57 percent of the vote. The key to Tuesday's outcome will be how many people have changed their minds and whether turnout surpasses the 6,916 people who cast ballots last time.
"I don't think it's so much that people have shifted (since 2010) as much as they are more aware of the issues," said Krista Anderson, who also campaigned against the original ordinance.
The town's small liberal arts university could be another factor. For this vote, Midland University's professors and 1,300 students will be on campus. The last vote took place during the school's summer break.
If the housing restrictions take effect, City Council members are worried about additional lawsuits. And the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development warned last year that Fremont could lose community-development grants that have been worth $7.1 million over the past 15 years.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nebraska-city-reconsider-2010-immigration-211406321.html
Update if anyone cares:
FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Residents of a small Nebraska city have reaffirmed their desire to take on illegal immigration.
Nearly 60 percent of Fremont voters decided Tuesday to keep an ordinance that requires all renters to swear they have legal permission to live in the U.S.
Voters first approved the rules by a smaller margin in 2010. Critics pushed for the new vote, saying the housing restrictions would be ineffective and might cost Fremont millions of dollars in legal fees and lost federal grants. They also said it was hurting the city's image.
But it wasn't enough to sway voters in the conservative agricultural hub near Omaha.
Fremont is one of only a handful of cities trying to restrict illegal immigration and, like those other cities, has found itself mired in court fights because of the regulations. City leaders put the ordinance on hold after the 2010 vote while courts reviewed it.
Now, some supporters are questioning whether city leaders will implement the ordinance, which was mostly upheld by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year. The city of 26,000 residents was getting ready to enforce the housing restrictions for the first time last fall when elected officials decided to schedule another vote.
"The mayor and city council need to listen to the people," said John Wiegert, who helped organize the petition drive that put the ordinance on the 2010 ballot. "The people have spoken twice."
Fremont resident Matt Kwiatkowski, who voted to keep the housing restrictions, said he doesn't have any problems with immigrants who legally come to the U.S., but he doesn't think the country should go easy on people living here illegally. He hopes Fremont's ordinance will help increase pressure on the federal government to do something about illegal immigration.
"I think more towns need to do this given that the federal government isn't doing its job," Kwiatkowski said.
Civil rights groups, which could still derail the ordinance by taking their challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court, said they would closely monitor Fremont's implementation of the rules.
"We are saddened by the result of today's vote, and will stand with those residents of Fremont who will be harmed by the unfortunate decision to allow a discriminatory housing ordinance to be implemented," Amy Miller, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, said Tuesday night.
The housing rules require anyone who rents a home or apartment to apply for a $5 permit and attest to their legal status, but there is no mandate to show proof. New permits are needed for every move, and landlords are required to make sure their tenants have permits or face a $100 fine.
http://news.yahoo.com/nebraska-city-keep-illegal-immigration-rules-122828046.html