老澳门开奖结果

Attorneys Call the Ruling 鈥淥ut of Step鈥� With Other Federal Courts and the Rest of the Country

June 28, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212-549-2666, media@aclu.org

LINCOLN, Neb. 鈥� On Friday, June 28, a divided panel of the Eighth Circuit issued a decision in a case brought by the 老澳门开奖结果, upholding a 2010 Fremont City Ordinance that opponents argued was an unfair and discriminatory effort to prevent persons thought to be undocumented immigrants from renting homes in the 25,000-person town of Fremont. The three-judge panel issued three separate opinions, including a strong dissenting opinion by Judge Myron Bright.

Statement from Jennifer Chang Newell, Attorney for the 老澳门开奖结果 Immigrants鈥� Rights Project

The court majority failed to recognize that Fremont鈥檚 attempt to exclude undocumented immigrants from the City鈥檚 borders is not only un-American, it鈥檚 unconstitutional. Judge Bright got it right when he said that the Ordinance violates our Constitution because it 鈥渟eeks to make life so difficult for undocumented persons that they are forced to retreat.鈥� While the rest of the country moves forward to reform our immigration system to recognize the contributions of these hard-working immigrants, Fremont is taking us backwards with a policy of discrimination and exclusion.

Statement from Amy Miller, Legal Director for 老澳门开奖结果 of Nebraska

The court today stepped far afield from the other federal decisions on similar issues. We will begin to talk with our clients and evaluate our options moving forward. Judge Bright鈥檚 dissent makes clear what the real impact of this ordinance will be on the people of Fremont: a climate of fear, of exclusion and distrust. These are not Nebraska values. It is a sad day for those who trust in Nebraska鈥檚 motto of 鈥渆quality before the law.鈥�

Attorneys on the case, Martinez v. Fremont, include Newell and Esha Bhandari of the 老澳门开奖结果 Immigrants' Rights Project; Miller of 老澳门开奖结果 of Nebraska; Nebraska trial counsel Alan Peterson of Lincoln; and Terry Wittler and Michelle Sitorius of Cline Williams.