Thread: UNK speaker: Fremont gave haters go-ahead-Nebraska

UNK speaker: Fremont gave haters go-aheadBoth sides of immigration legislation argue at World Affairs event

• Story
• Comments

Posted: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 2:00 pm | Updated: 12:32 pm, Wed Sep 26, 2012.

UNK speaker: Fremont gave haters go-aheadBy SARA GIBONEY Hub Staff WriterKearney Hub | 0 comments

KEARNEY — Everything changed after Fremont voters approved an ordinance that prohibits businesses and landlords from renting to or hiring illegal immigrants.

“It gave the green light for haters to openly hate,” said Amy Miller, legal director of American Civil Liberties Union Nebraska.

Although the open racism has died down since the ordinance became tied up in the court system, the implementation of the ordinance could mean continued discrimination, Miller said.


“Immigrants in Nebraska: The Fremont Case” highlighted the much-debated immigration ordinance that was approved by voters in 2010.

Carl Schaffner of Fremont, who supports the ordinance and is running for City Council there, and Miller presented two sides of the issue at the 2012 James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

“Immigration and the Globalization of Labor” is the focus of the conference, which began Tuesday and continued today. In all, there will be more than 20 speakers, including experts on labor laws, citizenship and visa requirements, education, economics, travel regulations, health care and criminal law.

During Tuesday’s session on the Fremont case, Schaffner argued that it is not the responsibility of the United States to help Mexicans create a better life, adding that there isn’t poverty in Mexico.

“The thing we hear in Fremont is, ‘You’re coming here for a better life because it’s so poor in Mexico,’” he said.

“I’ve been around the world. I’ve seen poverty.”

The Fremont ordinance would affect illegal immigrants from around the world.

The ordinance makes it a crime for landlords to harbor an illegal immigrant. Landlords would be required to make sure renters are legal residents. All renters would be required to get documentation of their status.

“We’re worried about the intimidation factor, and we’re worried about whether or not mistakes will be made,” Miller said.

The spectrum of immigration status is wide, she added.

For example, someone who has a recently expired green card is not an illegal immigrant but is out of status.

Miller argued that because immigration is so complicated, it should be left up to federal agents not a local police department.

“Immigration status is a highly specialized area, and that’s why it’s entrusted to the federal agency, ICE, Immigration Control Enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security and federal government are in sole charge of immigration issues because it’s pretty complicated,” she said.

The ACLU also is concerned that victims or witnesses of crimes won’t contact police because they are worried about their immigration status, Miller said.

Another concern is the effect on landlords. Landlords would be fully responsible if they rent to an illegal immigrant.

Landlords might choose to rent to white renters to avoid the possibility of criminal charges, Miller said.

“Landlords and employers aren’t allowed to discriminate based on race, ethnicity or national origin,” she said. “So there’s a rock in a hard place.”

The ordinance would also require businesses to use the E-Verify system, an online database created by the federal government that checks employment eligibility.

The ACLU is arguing that the requirement places a burden on employers. Businesses would be required to purchase computer equipment, install the system and train employees.

E-Verify also has a 10 percent error rate, Miller said. Those with foreign names are more likely to be flagged as illegal immigrants. Someone who is flagged must contact the federal government within two days to prove his or her citizenship.

Miller argued that jobseekers will lose out on jobs while trying to deal with the government.

“Especially if you have a disproportionate impact on people with Hispanic or Latino surnames, that has a great disadvantage for all the legal, naturalized citizens and people who are certified to work and happen to have those last names,” Miller said.

Schaffner admitted that there could be mistakes in the E-Verify system, but said businesses must screen employees to keep workplaces safe.

“We’re not talking about immigrants,” Schaffner said. “We’re talking about illegal aliens, and there is not a way in the world we’re going to please every single illegal alien and therefore it is paramount that workplaces ensure they have a safe, protected working population.

“The city of Fremont has a responsibility to its citizens to keep everyone safe.”

The ACLU sued the city of Fremont, arguing that the ordinance is a violation of the Supremacy Clause, the 14th Amendment and the Fair Housing Act.

In February, a U.S. Court judge upheld most of the ordinance, but declared that it violated the Fair Housing Act. Both sides are appealing.

Because of the lawsuit, the ordinance has not gone into effect.

“Fremont doesn’t have the power to dabble in federal government,” Miller said. “They are swimming in a pool that’s too deep for them.”

Go to www.unk.edu/worldaffairs for the complete schedule and biographies of speakers.
email to:

sara.giboney@kearneyhub.com

http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local...a4bcf887a.html

More Coverage

• World Affairs Conference schedule

“Fremont doesn’t have the power to dabble in federal government,” Miller said. “They are swimming in a pool that’s too deep for them.”v

That is one of the most arrogant and aloof things Ive ever heard one of these nation destroying elites say. Don't hold back Amy Miller, let the American peasants know exactly how you feel about them!

W