Immigration bill altered; Costs for verifying shifted to employers

The Commercial Appeal
January 30, 2011
By Phil West Special to DeSoto Appeal
JACKSON, MS

House members kicked the "immigration football" across the Capitol's third floor Thursday by amending Senate legislation so employers of illegal immigrants, not local governments, will now bear the financial costs in determining immigration status.

Senators approved immigration legislation on Jan. 18 based on the Arizona law that empowers law enforcement officers to require drivers pulled over for traffic offenses prove they are in the country legally.

That raised the ire of local government officials, who said they would be saddled with the additional cost of investigating and housing illegal immigrants until they are taken into federal custody.

"There were some who were distressed at what they saw coming out of the Senate," said Rep. Bobby Moak, D-Bogue Chitto, a member of the Judiciary A Committee.

"We didn't think that local first responders were the problem in the legislation that came over from the Senate, so we addressed what we've been hearing from concerned Mississippians."

House members amended the Senate legislation, on a 77-40 vote, by placing the financial burden on all employers who hire illegal aliens.

The legislation was returned to the Senate, which can accept or reject the House changes.

Should the Senate reject the House bill, a conference committee will convene to work out the differences.

In the House version, employers of illegal aliens will be fined from $5,000 to $25,000 for every day they knowingly had illegal immigrants on their payrolls, Moak said.

The amended bill also would allow for the early release of illegal immigrants who have served one-third or more of their terms in Mississippi prisons. But those people will have to leave the country and serve their increased entire sentences if they return.

Critics have said the immigration legislation could result in families ripped apart when illegal immigrant members are deported while legal immigrant members, often their children born in the United States, remain here legally.

"I can understand that some people are not supportive of it, but there are differing views on the legislation, and that's reflected in the vote," Moak said.

The House-amended bill "makes very good sense," said Hernando Mayor Chip Johnson, second vice president of the Mississippi Municipal League.

Johnson and a host of MML members swarmed the Capitol on Tuesday and held a news conference in opposition to the Senate immigration bill's lack of reimbursement for local law enforcement agencies responsible for arresting and housing illegal immigrants.

"There wasn't anybody against the immigration bill itself. Mississippians just can not afford any more expenses placed on our taxpayers on the local level, the businesses who employ illegal immigrants must bear these costs," Johnson said.

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