'Sanctuary Cities' Tussle In Nebraska
"Officials with the state's two largest police departments, in Omaha and Lincoln, oppose adoption of an Arizona-style immigration law in Nebraska.
They say deputizing local officers to enforce federal immigration laws would significantly raise taxpayer costs, hurt existing crime-fighting efforts and spawn dozens of lawsuits for false arrest.
The Nebraska proposal, Legislative Bill 48, could discourage members of immigrant communities from sharing information about crimes with police out of fear their immigration status could be checked, said Deputy Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer.
"Our mission is to reduce crime and reduce the fear of crime," he said. "We are afraid and have concerns that LB 48 will hamper those efforts, as it is written."
LB 48 is scheduled for a public hearing Wednesday afternoon before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee. It is among the most anticipated hearings of the current legislative session.
Fremont Sen. Charlie Janssen, the chief sponsor of the measure, disputed the contentions of Schmaderer and Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady. Their opinions make Omaha and Lincoln "sanctuary cities" for illegal immigrants, Janssen said."