A new bill in Mississippi could turn bounty hunters into paid agents assisting government officials with deporting immigrants living in the country illegally. Announced on Wednesday, Jan. 22, House Bill 1484 offers bounty hunters $1,000 for each person they help remove from the state.
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The Migration Policy Institute estimates at least 25,000 immigrants live in the state illegally. Mississippi’s population stands at just under 3 million.
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Building on Trump’s immigration policies
De Soto County District Attorney Matthew Barton helped draft the bill as part of his effort to expand on President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
In a statement, Barton said, “He immediately recognized the emergency at our borders, rolling out executive orders to combat illegal immigration and cartels.”
President Trump also plans to send thousands of ICE agents to the southern border through an executive order to increase enforcement and tighten immigration controls.
Immigrant advocates’ opposition to the bill
Immigrant lawyers and advocates warn the bill could lead to racial profiling and intimidation of immigrant communities.
The ACLU of Mississippi criticizes the bill’s language in a statement to The Washington Post, saying, “They define an ‘illegal alien’ as someone who is not lawfully present in the United States, but don’t clarify how to determine that someone is ‘illegal.’”
What would the bill do?
House Bill 1484 defines a bounty hunter as a licensed bail agent who would become certified under the new law to detain undocumented immigrants in Mississippi. Typically, bounty hunters track down people who either skip court or fail to pay bail. They earn a percentage of the bail amount once they’re apprehended.
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The bill imposes felony charges and a life sentence without parole for anyone caught trespassing in the state unless the federal government deports them within 24 hours.
It also seeks to revoke rights such as obtaining a driver’s license, voting, applying for government assistance or becoming a legal state resident.
Tags: Border, Border patrol, Deportation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mississippi, U.S.-Mexico Border
[Karah Rucker]
A NEW BILL IN MISSISSIPPI COULD PUT BOUNTY HUNTERS TO WORK AS PAID AGENTS, HELPING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DEPORT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.
INTRODUCED THIS WEEK, THE BILL PLANS TO OPERATE THROUGH A PROGRAM TO PAY $1,000 FOR EVERY PERSON THEY IDENTIFY AND HELP REMOVE FROM THE STATE..
WITH A POPULATION OF CLOSE TO THREE MILLION PEOPLE–THE MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE ESTIMATES AT LEAST 25 THOUSAND LIVING IN MISSISSIPPI ARE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY MATTHEW BARTON HELPED DRAFT THE BILL, AIMING TO BUILD ON THE IMMIGRATION POLICIES PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS PUSHED SINCE TAKING OFFICE.
SAYING “He immediately recognized the emergency at our borders, rolling out executive orders to combat illegal immigration and cartels.”
THROUGH AN EXECUTIVE ORDER, PRESIDENT TRUMP PLANS TO SEND THOUSANDS OF ICE AGENTS TO THE SOUTHERN BORDER TO INCREASE ENFORCEMENT AND TIGHTEN IMMIGRATION CONTROL.
IMMIGRANT LAWYERS AND ADVOCATES WARN THE BILL COULD LEAD TO RACIAL PROFILING AND INTIMIDATION OF IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
THE ACLU OF MISSISSIPPI POINTS TO THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL, SAYING, “They define an ‘illegal alien’ as someone who is not lawfully present in the United States, but then they don’t say how to determine that someone is ‘illegal,’”
HOUSE BILL 1484 DEFINES A BOUNTY HUNTER AS A LICENSED BAIL AGENT, WHO WOULD BE CERTIFIED UNDER THE NEW LAW TO DETAIN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN MISSISSIPPI.
TYPICALLY, BOUNTY HUNTERS TRACK DOWN PEOPLE WHO SKIP COURT OR FAIL TO PAY BAIL, EARNING A PERCENTAGE OF THE BAIL AMOUNT ONCE THEY’RE APPREHENDED.
THE BILL IMPOSES FELONY CHARGES AND A LIFE SENTENCE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR ANYONE CAUGHT TRESPASSING—UNLESS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DEPORTS THEM WITHIN 24 HOURS.
IT ALSO SEEKS TO REVOKE RIGHTS LIKE OBTAINING A DRIVER’S LICENSE, VOTING, APPLYING FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE, OR EVER BECOMING A LEGAL RESIDENT IN THE STATE.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M KARAH RUCKER
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