Immigration
The Governor has offered five proposals to target illegal immigration. However, three of those proposals are already illegal, one is unnecessary and one smacks of hypocrisy on the part of the Governor.
Already Illegal: Allowing illegal immigrants to obtain a Missouri drivers’ licenses; the hiring of illegal immigrants by state or local governments; and human trafficking of immigrants (or non-immigrants for that matter.)
Unnecessary: Prohibiting Missouri municipalities from acting as “sanctuary cities” that provide refuge to illegal immigrants. We challenge the Governor to name one Missouri city that shields illegal immigrants from federal or state authorities.
Hypocritical: Punishing state contractors that employ illegal immigrants. HB 327 passed by the General Assembly in 2007 contained an amendment (offered by Representative Tony George) that required recipients of state tax breaks who are found to have employed illegal aliens to pay back those tax breaks. After vetoing HB 327 because of its excessive cost, Governor Blunt refused to allow the George Amendment to be considered in the special session Blunt himself called to re-pass the bill.