Fremont Council Certifies Illegal Immigration Election Results
Posted: Jul 13, 2010 8:58 PM PDT

Fremont, NE -- For the last 50 years, Fremont City Council members routinely certify election results. Always unanimously, but never in front of this kind of crowd. With seven little green lights, Fremont officially bans illegal immigrants from working and living in the city.

"My wife is an immigrant. She came here and went though the system and she is a citizen now. I feel if we can do it, why can't the rest of them," says Andy Schnatz of Fremont.

The ordinance started two years ago with former city councilman Bob Warner.

Former Fremont City Councilman Bob Warner say, "The footing has been laid for illegal enforcement and now we have to build the structure."

When the city council voted down the Warner's proposal, a petition kept the effort alive.

"They did not want this to go to the vote of the people. Fortunately we got it to the vote of the people and we succeeded," says John Wiegert who helped start the illegal immigration petition.

Of course not everyone is happy with the new rules.

"Now that it is here and it has happened, if we don't' stand up now for what message this sends, we don't know what the outcome will be," says Krista Kjeldgard of Fremont.

Some believe it promotes racism.

"Person calls me names and something like that, I just say, God bless you. That is all I have to say. I am not going to be on their side because I can show him that I have more education than him," says Edit Santos an illegal immigrant living in Fremont.

The ordinance will go into effect on July 29th. At that point employers and landlords must electronically verify a person's legal status before renting or hiring.

"The voters of Fremont says yes we want it, now we have to get it through the court of law," says Warner.

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