By Associated Press, Published: February 11 | Updated: Wednesday, February 12, 4:48 PM
LINCOLN, Neb. — Officials in a small Nebraska city were preparing Wednesday to enforce voter-approved illegal immigration rules, despite the threat of costly federal lawsuits after the measure goes into effect.
Fremont officials said that police will start enforcing the measure 30 days after the results of a special city election are certified. Nearly 60 percent of voters decided Tuesday to keep the ordinance, which requires renters to get a $5 permit and swear they have legal permission to live in the U.S.
The new federal census shows Nebraska’s population increased by 115,078 in the last ten years. For the most part, the growth is all about Hispanics.
The just-released 2010 census says there are 1.8 million Nebraskans.
Hispanics accounted for 63 percent of the state’s overall growth. Nebraska has 167,405 Hispanic residents; that number is up nearly 73,000 since the 2000 census.
Most of the overall population growth was in the eastern part of the state, and most of that growth was in Douglas, Lancaster or Sarpy counties. More than half of the state’s population lives in one of those counties.
