The Missouri Senate committee was immersed in a lengthy session of testimony on Monday, focusing on proposed legislation concerning illegal immigration. One of the key provisions of the bill includes the possibility of life imprisonment for individuals found guilty of illegal immigration. Additionally, the legislation suggests a reward of $1,000 for reporting individuals who are residing in the United States without legal status.
One of the pieces of legislation introduces a new felony trespassing charge for individuals who enter Missouri without legal status and choose to remain in the country.
The punishment for this offense would be a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, probation, or conditional release, unless authorized by the governor.
If the federal government enters into a written agreement with the Missouri Department of Public Safety to take custody and deport the person, the penalties mentioned above would not apply.
According to Sen. David Gregory, R-Chesterfield, the main objective of the bill is to establish a counterpart to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gregory explained that, similar to ICE, they must conduct thorough investigations and gather sufficient evidence to obtain a warrant before they can track and apprehend individuals.
According to Gregory, conducting warrantless arrests would be deemed illegal, even though the measure does not specifically mention it.
According to Gregory, the current law cannot be altered at the constitutional level, meaning that both our local government and the federal government are unable to make any modifications to it.
During the hearing, Sen. Barbara Washington, a Democrat from Kansas City, inquired about the specific impact of this issue on the people of Missouri at present.
Washington expressed frustration with people who constantly talk about events happening elsewhere without addressing the problems within their own state.
Gregory did not provide any specific examples when Washington asked for them.
Gregory mentioned that he is currently working on an alternative version of his initial bill. However, this revised draft has not yet been made available for public access on the internet.
A $1,000 bounty
The initial draft of the bill proposes that the state Department of Public Safety establish a system wherein individuals can easily notify authorities and make allegations against individuals suspected of residing in the country without proper legal documentation.
The system should consist of a telephone number, an email address, and an online portal that individuals can utilize.
The bill allows individuals to report others anonymously, without any consequences for reporting on someone who has legal status.
If someone reports an individual in Missouri who is undocumented, the person making the report would be rewarded with $1,000.
Senator Stephen Webber, a Democrat from Columbia, inquired Gregory about potential courses of action for individuals who have been wrongly accused.
Webber posed an important question regarding the situation where someone tries to report their neighbor as undocumented, leading to an investigation that ultimately reveals the person in question is not undocumented. In such cases, Webber wondered if the person making the false report would face any consequences or have any means of rectifying their actions.
According to Gregory, it is currently illegal to harass individuals or provide false reports to hotlines.
The legislation also broadens the scope of individuals eligible to become bounty hunters in the state. It now permits individuals with an unexpired valid license as a bail bond agent, general bond agent, or surety recovery agent to apply for the program.
The proposed act will be supported by a fund created by the bill, which aims to provide the necessary financial resources for its implementation. The responsibility of allocating the funding will lie with the legislature.
During the discussion, the committee touched upon a fiscal note that outlined the estimated cost of the bill. According to the note, the bill is expected to incur an approximate expenditure of $4.5 million.
The legislation received overwhelming opposition, with over 30 individuals expressing their concerns. Surprisingly, there was only one voice in support of the proposed law.
Tori Schafer, from the ACLU of Missouri, mentioned that the organization has previously filed lawsuits against comparable laws in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas.
According to Schaefer, the reason for their success in these cases is that judges have recognized their potential to be successful based on the merits of the argument. This is because the federal government has a vested interest in upholding federal law, which aligns with their argument.
Yazmin Bruno-Valdez, a recipient of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, voiced her opposition to the legislation, expressing concerns about the potential for it to create divisions among neighbors.
Bruno-Valdez expressed concerns that the proposal to charge a fee of only $1,000 would encourage discrimination, promote fear and hostility towards foreigners, and further divide society.
Earlier on Monday, Senator Jill Carter, a Democrat from Granby, presented similar legislation to the senators.
It is now against the law for individuals without legal status in the United States to enter Missouri.
If individuals commit the offense for the first time, they would face a hefty fine of $10,000 and be deported. For any subsequent offenses, the consequences would be even more severe, including a prison sentence ranging from one to seven years.
Carter emphasized the importance of finding a middle ground between the federal government’s lack of responsiveness and the challenges faced by our communities and law enforcement.
David Parrish, a sheriff in Lewis County, was among the three individuals who expressed their support for the legislation.
According to Parrish, the legislation will provide law enforcement with an additional tool to support their federal partners.
Aura Velasquez, a Nicaraguan immigrant, was one of the more than 20 individuals who voiced their opposition to Carter’s proposed legislation. Velasquez arrived in the United States at the age of 5.
“My mom left Nicaragua to set out to find a place she was told was built by immigrants and welcomed them: the United States of America. And now, if this bill was to continue further than an idea, it would destroy the safety of anyone that looks different, my friends, my family and children could be labeled as not human enough to live in peace,” Velasquez said.
The hearings on these bills take place one week into President Donald Trump’s second administration. Trump’s campaign centered around his pledge to carry out large-scale deportations.
On Saturday, more than 100 protesters gathered in Overland to oppose the Trump administration’s immigration policy changes and deportations.