Nebraska city keeps paying Kobach to defend immigration rule

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An eastern Nebraska city will continue paying Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach at least $10,000 a year to defend its immigration ordinance even though the last legal challenge to the rule ended in 2014.

Fremont’s City Council unanimously approved its annual agreement with Kobach on Tuesday. Since 2010, the city has paid the Republican, who lost his bid to become Kansas governor this fall, a total of $101,817.29.

Fremont Mayor Scott Getzchman said the city wants to maintain its contract with Kobach, so he could defend the ordinance against any new challenges.

Fremont voters twice supported the rule that bans renting homes to immigrants living in the country illegally and requires employers to use a federal online system to check whether prospective employees are permitted to work in the U.S.