Gov. Blunt signs immigration law

Many legislators say action is needed at the federal level.

By Mallory Redinger

Published July 9, 2008

Missouri will have tougher immigration laws now that Gov. Matt Blunt signed an omnibus immigration bill that received an overwhelming majority of votes in the Missouri General Assembly.

The new immigration laws are directed toward illegal immigrants in what Blunt calls Missouri legislators’ response to the federal government’s failure. The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, said he hopes the laws will prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants.

The legislation was passed in the General Assembly in May, with the House approving the bill with a vote of 133-11, the Senate approving it 27-7.

The laws allow for the removal of government grants and funds from cities that offer sanctuary. Sanctuary cities defy federal law with an informal stance of not allowing law officials to question the status of suspected illegal immigrants.

According to the language of the legislation, businesses will be subject to a fine of $50 per day per misclassified worker up to $50,000. Fines and suspensions also apply to applicable business licenses for the hiring and misclassification of illegal immigrants.

Additionally, judges can deny bail to those detained that cannot prove the legality of their presence in the country, and, if a person’s lawful presence cannot be verified while detained, the person can be held until discharged by due process of law.

The Department of Revenue is prohibited from issuing drivers’ licenses to those without proper paperwork. Law also demands that Missouri administer drivers’ license tests in English only.

Some of these laws are merely reinforcing old laws, as well as playing into vestigial racism, state Rep. Theodore Hoskins, D-Berkeley, said. He said this bill allows for racial profiling and harasses a certain segment of society, namely Hispanics.

Hoskins said he believes it should have focused more on businesses than social benefits.

State Rep. Paul Levota, D-Independence, who voted in support of the bill, also said he believed it should have focused more on business.

“Gov. Blunt is calling this a tough piece of legislation, but it does little to crunch down on employers,” Levota said.

George Bateck, a Columbia attorney who said he is the only Spanish-speaking lawyer in the entire Columbia area and works with a largely Hispanic clientele, said the law was “draconian.”

“There are some horrible provisions in this bill,” Bateck said. “How can they possibly be enforced without violating someone’s civil rights?”

State Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, voted in favor of the legislation and said he believes these laws will help to ensure the safety and protection of Missouri citizens. While Robb said he believes the law is a step in the right direction, the federal government needs to “get on board” as well, since they wield the most power over border control.

The law would also offer little control over the private business sector, Robb said.

“We can handle the allocation of the money,” Robb said about the issue of grants within the public sector. “The real issue becomes how do we handle all these people from South American and Mexico, who are honest and want to have a job?”

He said that it would be beneficial for employers to be able to check whether workers are registered to work in Missouri, and grant them work permits, giving them an easier way to work legally in this country. He said it is too easy for people to work illegally, which is a misuse of taxpayers’ money.  

Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, who also voted in support of the legislation, also said he believes it is up to the federal government to do more concerning the issue of immigration. He said a federal database is already in place to allow employers to check the legality of workers, but that is not enough.

“The problem stems from the fact that employers are hiring illegally and these businesses are competing with the businesses that are playing by the rules,” Graham said. “But it is really up to the federal government to take some type of action.”