From national politicians debating the effectiveness of a fence to the presidential contenders sparring over how to best deal with our immigration policy, we have heard a lot of talk about immigration. But talk is all it has been for a long while. The U.S. Congress has yet to deal with the widespread problem of illegal immigration, and Missouri is not a place to stand by and watch the situation get worse. This has put us into action as we move forward with multiple ideas this session to address the problem here at home.

One important component of reform is to make sure our law enforcement personnel have the tools and authority to uphold the law. We are considering legislation that would require the Highway Patrol and other law enforcement personnel to verify the lawful immigration status of any person arrested. If the person is found to be an illegal immigrant the law enforcement personnel are then required to inform Federal authorities. While Gov. Matt Blunt has directed state law enforcement agencies to verify the status of every criminal presented for incarceration, this legislation would take our efforts to the next level.

In addition to empowering our law enforcement, we also need to give employers the tools to verify their employee’s immigration status. The E-Verify system operated by the Department of Homeland Security is a tool that allows Missouri businesses to ensure their workers are legal. We are considering legislation that would either require or give employers incentives to use E-Verify. This system is designed to be user-friendly and would give employers peace of mind knowing their newly hired employees are legal. It would also remove them from the uncomfortable position of having to use their own discretion as to whether to investigate their employee’s immigration status.

By helping employers identify illegal aliens we can make it virtually impossible for illegal immigrants to find work. When jobs are no longer available, our illegal immigration crisis should diminish. And this truly is a crisis. Number show we may have up to 65,000 illegal immigrants currently living within Missouri borders who are costing our taxpayers millions of dollars.

To cut down on the huge financial burden of illegal immigrants, we are making it a priority to keep them from receiving public benefits. Too many illegal immigrants are currently receiving assistance meant only for tax-paying residents. This drain on the system is something we must stop so that Missourians are the ones to receive the tax payer funded services the State provides.

Another public benefit we want to make sure is not utilized by illegal immigrants is our public system of higher education. We are considering a bill which would prohibit Missouri public institutions of higher education from knowingly enrolling unlawfully present aliens. All higher education institutions that receive state tax dollars, including junior colleges, would be required to certify they had not knowingly enrolled any illegal immigrants. This legislation seeks to bring consistency and ensure Missouri taxpayers aren’t paying to provide educational opportunities to individuals who cannot be hired legally after graduation.

Hopefully, the legislation in Missouri and in states across the country dealing with illegal immigration will inspire our federal government to turn their talk into action. In the meantime, I know our state will continue to take action to deal with illegal immigration here in Missouri.

Thanks for your time and thanks for your input. If there’s anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to call. My Jefferson City office number is (573) 751-3971.