According to ABC News, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to review a Nebraska city ordinance that bans renting homes to immigrants that live in the country illegally. According to reports, the Supreme Court's decision to not address the issue is significant and could encourage other states to make similar laws.
One attorney that defended Nebraska in the case says that the Supreme Court's decision gives a green light to other cities that are within the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, where the case was last heard. Cities in this area can adopt similar laws which ban immigrants from renting apartments in the area. Specifically, this action may be encouraged in Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri and other parts of Nebraska.
While the Supreme Court may have opened the door for more laws like this, it is true that any cities that try to implement these ordinances will probably be fought by advocacy groups that are working to stop them. Justices declined attempts by two other towns to revive laws about renting apartments to immigrants. These cases occurred in Pennsylvania and Texas. Part of the reason that these penalties were struck down is because they imposed penalties on immigrants. The Fremont ordinance that was approved in the Court of Appeals gives apartment owners the express responsibility to deny rent to any illegal immigrants, but it does not punish those aliens.
Instead, the Fremont laws require all renters to request a $5 permit and swear that they have legal permission to reside in the U.S. The ordinance has been in place since 2010. It was even challenged at the ballot box but was not successful. The high court says that the court ruling does not discriminate against a particular race and does not interfere with federal immigration laws, so it should remain in place. As expected, advocacy groups are irate at the law, and are doing whatever they can to challenge it on a variety of legal levels.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska says that they will keep close tabs on the city and will consider a new lawsuit if tenants report discrimination. Individuals who oppose the laws say that they are unproductive and are inconsistent with America's national values. While some believe that they are anti-business and anti-human rights, others strongly believe that the laws are legal and reduce the amount of illegals in the area.
In Fremont, the government is celebrating the victory of their statute. The supporters of the law insist that the immigration statute does not target Hispanics. In fact, in Fremont, the number of Latinos has jumped from 165 in 1990 to 3,149 in 2010. This is because the Hormel and Fremont Beef plants are in the area and they are constantly hiring massive amounts of people to work at the plants. Immigrants who cannot get jobs elsewhere are able to secure work at the plants.
Since the apartment renting ordinance was enforced in April, only 140 people have applied for licenses. The authorities say that they are surprised by the low number of applicants at present. A former mayor of Fremont believes that the ordinance has given the city a poor reputation. The Supreme Court believes that immigration issues are largely a matter that should be handled by federal agencies, instead of local governments. If you want more information about this Fremont, or if you are an immigrant that believes you have been discriminated against because of a rental policy, don't hesitate to get a local immigration lawyer on your side today! Call right away to learn more.