State's immigration bill is mean-spirited and anti-business

The Missouri/Kansas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association was disappointed that Gov. Blunt signed into law House Bill 1549, "Illegal Aliens and Immigration Status Verification." The bill not only presents challenges to Missouri employers that only will deter growth in this time of economic uncertainty, but it also is mean-spirited and duplicative of current federal law.

For example, participation in the federal work authorization program E-Verify now will be required for many Missouri employers, raising fears that the growing number of regulatory burdens imposed by state laws will drive many businesses to relocate and deter new businesses from operating in Missouri.

Additionally, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will be required to receive training from the Department of Homeland Security to enforce federal immigration laws — a measure that redirects already-limited law enforcement funding to target minor traffic violations and encourages racial profiling and the further victimization of immigrants, many of whom already are too afraid to report crimes.

While the chapter agrees that the federal government has failed to address fundamental, structural problems with the country's broken immigration system, it also believes that bills such as HB 1549 do not adequately deal with Congress' failures to provide options for employers to hire legal workers or to keep families together. It is time to abandon the politics of the issue and come up with a fair, practical solution to our immigration crisis that requires undocumented immigrants to earn legal status and contribute to the American economy and society.

Suzanne Brown | St. Louis
Chair, Missouri/Kansas Chapter
American Immigration Lawyers Association
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