Immigration vote stirs emotions in Neb. town

It is a shame that small towns that are being overrun by illegal aliens have to suffer economic ruin in order to get the immigration laws enforced. The ACLU has nothing to do except bring frivolous lawsuits to benefit their liberal agenda. If they spent half as much of their funds and time and effort defending the Constitution and the citizens rights, we would be much better off.

Excerpt: With roughly 57 percent of voters supporting the ordinance, Fremont joins Arizona and a few other cities in the national debate over immigration regulations. The community about 35 miles northwest of Omaha has seen its Hispanic population surge in the past two decades, largely due to the jobs available at the nearby Fremont Beef and Hormel plants.
Supporters argued the measure was necessary to make up for what they see as lax federal law enforcement.

Trevor McClurg said the measure is fair because it's aimed at people who aren't legally in the U.S. "I don't think it's right to be able to rent to them or hire them," McClurg said. "They shouldn't be here in the first place."

The Fremont measure, which requires city officials and employers to ensure that applicants are in the country legally, was modeled after the Hazleton ordinance. But that law has been tied up in court and has never been enforced. A federal judge struck down the ordinance, but it is on appeal.
Barletta said the community of about 32,000 has paid $500,000 - all covered by private donors - so far to defend the ordinance. But that's only a portion of Hazleton's $5 million legal bill. Its insurer has refused to pay the $4.5 remainder in legal fees, Barletta said, and Hazleton is suing the insurer to collect. The costs could go much higher, as opposition lawyers are seeking $2 million from Hazleton to cover their fees - and that doesn't include fees accumulated in the appeal process.
In Fremont, officials are aware of the potential costs. Hartwig distributed information before the vote, noting not only Hazleton's costs to fight lawsuits but those that other towns incurred defending their own immigration ordinances. Farmers Branch, Texas, has run up more than $3 million in legal fees since 2006, and Valley Park, Mo., has seen about $270,000 in fees since 2008, Hartwig's statement said.
Fremont officials are assuming that the costs of the ordinance - which includes legal fees, employee overtime and improved computer software - will average $1 million a year, the statement said. Immigration vote stirs emotions in Neb. town