LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two years after voters in Fremont approved a controversial immigration ordinance, the rule remains mired in court and residents are still split about whether it addresses a serious problem or needlessly tarnishes the city’s image.

Residents say little has changed in the city since the ordinance was approved in June 2010 with 57 percent support.

Supporters say they pushed for the measure to compensate for lax federal enforcement of immigration laws. Opponents say the rule has created a lingering, painful divide in a city that has grown steadily in recent decades.

A federal judge rejected part of the ordinance in February that would have denied housing permits to illegal immigrants. But she upheld a requirement that businesses screen employees with federal E-verify software. The case is being appealed.