OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The small Nebraska city of Fremont has started requiring $5 licenses for anyone who wants to rent there as part of rules aimed at restricting illegal immigration.
Fremont Police Chief Jeff Elliott said two applications were submitted Thursday morning and both people received licenses after paying the fee and filling out a form declaring whether they have legal permission to live in the country.
Elliott says reporters outnumbered applicants Thursday as the city of 26,000 people about 30 miles northwest of Omaha began enforcing housing restrictions that voters first approved in 2010. The city has drawn national attention as one of a handful of communities which have tried to implement their own rules to limit illegal immigration.
Civil right groups have challenged the rules in court and said they are monitoring the process of granting the licenses for any problems or examples of discrimination. They're also holding educational meetings for Fremont residents.
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