Nebraska Lawmakers Won't Debate Illegal Immigration

NECN reports: This year's debate over illegal immigration was effectively halted in the Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday when a powerful committee voted not to advance any immigration bills. Among the proposals tabled by the Judiciary Committee was a plan that would require police to confirm the residency status of suspected illegal immigrants. Instead of debating the bill, the committee authorized a study of Nebraska immigration issues. The bill's sponsor, Fremont Sen. Charlie Janssen, said he considered the move a victory because the panel didn't outright kill the legislation. "I feel like all the work I've put into this is starting to pay off," he said, adding that he plans to try again during the next legislative session to address illegal immigration in Nebraska. A message left Wednesday for committee Chairman Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha wasn't immediately returned. Janssen's bill would require local law enforcement, when enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. It also would require non-U.S. citizens to carry documents showing their legal status. Failure to do so would be a misdemeanor. The measure also criminalizes harboring, hiding or transporting an illegal immigrant. Violation of that would be a misdemeanor. Janssen's measure was modeled after Arizona's controversial immigration law that was challenged by the U.S. Justice Department. Parts of the law were blocked by a federal judge in July, including provisions calling for police to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws and requiring immigrants to prove they were legally in the U.S.