Wingnut lawyer Kobach guides another town into long and costly Anti-Immigrant Court Battles
Wingnut Nativist Lawyer Kris Kobach, who is responsible for the racist provisions that forced redraft of the Arizona immigration law, is at it again. This time using the town of Fremont as his tool. This will likely lead to long and costly court battles, and it’s likely that Kris Kobach will profit as “expert witness” in those battles.
Results are expected tonight.
Ron Tillery, executive director of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, which opposes the measure, said businesses are concerned the E-Verify system isn’t reliable and that they would be subject to fines if forced to rely on it. He pointed out that the main targets of the ordinance – the Fremont Beef and Hormel plants – would not be covered by it anyway because they are located outside the city.
Walraven said the measure is necessary because workers send their salaries to family in Mexico instead of spending it in the city.“I understand supporting your family,” he said, “But it’s very much at our expense. We’re footing the bill.”
The Fremont Tribune has reported several instances of legal Hispanic residents being told to return to Mexico, including a woman who was shoved and yelled at by an elderly white man in a grocery store.
Jerry Hart, a Fremont resident who petitioned for the vote, said he’s been called a Nazi.
“Fear is kind of guiding,” said Ostrom, adding that frustration about immigration issues nationwide ignites a misconception that all Hispanic immigrants in Fremont are illegal immigrants.
The Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has threatened a lawsuit, and the city worries about the cost of defending the policy. The city has estimated the legal action would cost $1 million per year to fight – costs that would have to be covered by property tax raises and city job cuts.