The city council still doesn’t like the law, and tried to quietly repeal it with a simple vote of the council itself. Why?
Abuses of the rule of law are fast becoming the hallmark of America’s new golden age of government. One egregious example is unfolding in the city of Fremont, in northeast Nebraska.
In summer of 2008, a member of the city council attempted to bring the force of law to what was already a moral imperative: proposing an ordinance requiring employers and landlords in the city to refrain from knowingly renting to, or employing illegal immigrants. The proposal failed in the city council, with the mayor casting the deciding vote.
The costs of illegal immigration have been studied, published and proven repeatedly, and are not in dispute among credible sources. The impact on our hospitals, schools, law enforcement, and social programs is undeniable.
Also undeniable, is the fact that illegal immigrants are willing to accept poor working conditions, substandard housing and markedly lower wages in exchange for discretion and silence regarding their immigration status – a willingness that unethical employers and landlords are eager to exploit.
By September of 2008, Fremont residents had seen enough. They organized a petition drive to place the proposed ordinance before the people in a special election. The city sued to stop them, and lost. Despite apocalyptic rhetoric about the city going bankrupt defending the inevitable legal challenges, the election was held in 2010 and the ordinance passed by an overwhelming margin.
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