Protecting Missouri From Illegal Foreign Criminals
This week at the Capitol, my legislation creating the crime of illegal reentry, Senate Bill 612, was perfected and passed in the Senate. This bill would make it a Class C felony – carrying a 1 to 7 year prison sentence – for any unauthorized alien who has been removed from the country for criminal violations to commit certain additional crimes in Missouri. The bill would also criminalize unauthorized immigrants who move to Missouri after having committed felonies in other states. The punishable crimes include misdemeanor assault, domestic assault and certain felony offenses. This legislation would also mandate any facility managers who are detaining an illegal alien upon their arrest for illegal reentry to transfer the detainee to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency as soon as possible.
Senate Bill 612 would work to protect the innocent, law-abiding citizens of Missouri from illegal immigrants who have the intent to do them harm. By establishing the crime of illegal reentry as a Class C felony, SB 612 would work as a preventative measure to dissuade illegal criminals from coming to our state and hurting our fellow Missourians.
According to a report published by the Pew Hispanic Center, there were an estimated 70,000 unauthorized immigrants living in our state in 2011 – and many of those individuals have come here with criminal intent. The federal government has a responsibility to enforce certain immigration laws that work to protect the American citizenry, but right now, they’re simply not taking the necessary action we need to feel safe in our own homes. This is why SB 612 is so important. This problem needs to be addressed and stopped as quickly as possible.
The threat of illegal aliens causing violent crimes is popping up all across the country – not just in Missouri. Since 2010, 124 illegal immigrants who were turned loose by the federal government have been tied with 138 murder cases after their release – some of them for their second, third or even fourth times. Just over one month ago, four illegal immigrants from Guatemala were charged in a rape and vicious beating case in Massachusetts. One Mexican immigrant who had been accused of slaying five people throughout the Midwest, including victims in Kansas and Missouri, had had previous run-ins with law enforcement. This individual was able to return to the U.S. illegally and avoid American immigration officials, after which he went on a killing spree. The incompetence of the federal government in handling extremely violent illegal immigrants such as these show why defensive legislation needs to be implemented here in Missouri, and other states across the country.
Since SB 612 has been perfected and passed in the Senate, it has moved to the House for a first reading, and hopefully, it’s eventual passage. I hope that my fellow lawmakers and Show-Me state residents will stand up in support of this protective legislation, as it really is a necessary defense for of our families’, neighbors’ and fellow Missourians’ safety.
For more information on SB 612, you can visit the following YouTube link to watch an excerpt of my press release on the importance of this issue: https://youtu.be/K3WHuOz7T_Y
As always, I appreciate it when groups from around Missouri and from our community back home come to visit me at the Capitol. If you would like to arrange a time to come and visit me in Jefferson City, or if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact my Capitol office at (573) 751-1882.