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  1. #1
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    Omaha joins cities against Arizona

    By Juan Perez Jr.
    WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER


    « Metro/Region
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    Mayor Jim Suttle has dipped the city's toes into the national conversation on illegal immigration.

    Suttle has signed the City of Omaha onto a "friend-of-the-court" filing that opposes a controversial Arizona law now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The law requires law enforcement officers to investigate the legal status of anyone in custody suspected of being in the country illegally.


    Omaha joins Austin, Texas, Madison, Wis., and Minneapolis — as well as some of the nation's largest cities, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors — as supporters of the filing.


    Much of the Arizona law was blocked by a federal appeals court after the federal government sued the state. The Supreme Court could issue its ruling by early this summer.


    Elisha Novak, a special mayoral assistant for South Omaha urban and community affairs, said Suttle's signature reflects his belief that the Arizona law could have far-reaching effects on cities such as Omaha.


    "This really isn't a new stand for the mayor," Novak said. "He's just affirming that immigration is a federal issue and it should be addressed at the federal level, not locally."


    In March, Suttle's office presided over a meeting with 25 South Omaha social service providers who identified immigration policy as one of their chief concerns.


    The U.S. Conference of Mayors also asked the country's mayors to sign on to the brief.


    "The mayor believes that Omaha is a vibrant community with doors open to individuals of all backgrounds and welcomes diversity," Novak wrote in a letter to the social workers last week.


    Omaha's official opposition to the Arizona law comes days after the Fremont City Council voted unanimously to begin partial enforcement of its own illegal immigration ordinance, which voters approved in June 2010. Fremont will hire a legal secretary and field investigator to ensure local businesses don't employ illegal immigrants.


    Fremont's ordinance prohibits the harboring or hiring of illegal immigrants. It requires employers to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm that new workers are in the country legally, and it requires renters to obtain a license from the city.

    The information provided for the license would be used to verify the applicant's immigration status. If the person is not legally in the United States, the permission to rent a home or apartment can be revoked.

    A federal judge struck down a provision allowing eviction of those who already have housing in Fremont, saying it would conflict with federal housing law and make it more difficult for federal authorities to enforce immigration laws.


    The cities' friend-of-the-court filing for the Arizona case states that the law has "created a sweeping immigration enforcement scheme that threatens the ability of local law enforcement agencies to protect public safety."


    "If these provisions are allowed to take effect, local law enforcement agencies in Arizona will be forced to prioritize the enforcement of federal civil immigration law over significant threats to public safety occurring within their jurisdictions, thereby reducing the capacity of local law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute serious criminal activity," the brief says.


    Contact the writer:
    402-444-1068, johnny.perez@owh.com
    twitter.com/PerezJr


    Omaha joins cities against Ariz. law - Omaha.com


  2. #2
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    Here are some other ways to reach the Hotline:
    Telephone: (402) 444-5555 (Voice)
    (402) 996-8490 (TTY /TDD)
    Fax: (402) 444-7963
    Mail: The Mayor’s Hotline
    Civic Center - Suite 304
    1819 Farnam St.
    Omaha, NE 68183-0304

    To e-mail Jim Suttle, go to this link:

    Feedback « City of Omaha Mayor’s Office

  3. #3
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    Don't go to the link you get an update your drivers thingy that won't go away. UGH!

    This Nebraskan will not spend one more penny in Omaha except for a Dr. I must see due to some health problems. When I visit my Dr. I will go straight to his office and promptly leave town!

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