By james art LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – Newly acquired records obtained by the ACLU of Nebraska show Fremont officials used a federal program to investigate the immigration status of potential employers, but only for occupational licensing applications.
This week, according to a news release from the ACLU of Nebraska, the organization filed to dismiss a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that sought housing records from Fremont and Scribner.
The records, according to the release, say the ordinances in Fremont and Scribner compel prospective employers to answer a question about their immigration status and instruct law enforcement officers to investigate if an applicant says they are not a citizen or is unsure of their immigration status.
Officials turned over a spreadsheet and 13-page document to the ACLU of Nebraska showing Fremont used a federal program between 2015 and 2017 to seek information on 21 workers who applied for professional licenses.
Fremont was the only Nebraska municipality to use the program in the state, according to online records.
“We are pleased to finally have more concrete information and look forward to getting a clearer picture with our ICE request,” said attorney Dylan Severino of the ACLU of Nebraska. “That being said, there was no need for a trial to obtain these essential details. Federal law outlines clear obligations to respond to public records requests. These are not suggestions.”
Severino said he hopes officials take note of the outcome of this case and fulfill their FOIA requests in a timely manner.
“As we work to better understand the scope of any federal involvement in these anti-immigrant housing bans, we hope officials will pay attention to the outcome of this case and ensure they are responsive to future requests.” Otherwise, we will see them in court.” Severino said.
The ACLU of Nebraska sued Fremont 14 years ago over the ordinance in question.
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