Will Missouri pass Arizona-style law?

Arizona has gotten a lot of attention for its new law on illegal immigration, but Missouri is also considering a bill to punish people who help illegal immigrants, KSHB reports. In fact, the bill's sponsor -- Rep. Mark Parkinson, who represents St. Charles -- plans to change his proposal so that it mirrors Arizona's. (Kris Kobach, a UMKC professor who's worked on several immigration cases, helped write part of Arizona's law.)

It's not likely that Parkinson's bill will go far this year because the legislature is so busy with budget issues, 41 reports. Here's a summary of the bill as it exists now.

A few people from the Kansas City area testified about the bill yesterday at the Capitol. One man with the American Patriots Coalition said the proposal would merely help enforce existing law. Some church volunteers worried they could be arrested for doing charity work that helps illegals. And a West Side businessman argued that it would lead to racial profiling for Hispanics who are full U.S. citizens. (Something that Kobach has denied.)

The Los Angeles Times interviewed Kobach about the Arizona law here. Tony's Kansas City -- Kobach's biggest fan -- has a post about the news here.

A man waits to be processed by Mexican authorities after being deported from the US in Nogales, Mexico, Wednesday, April 28, 2010. The Mexican government warned its citizens Tuesday to use extreme caution if visiting Arizona because of a tough new law that requires all immigrants and visitors to carry U.S.-issued documents or risk arrest. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Comments

[ak]

I hate that protesters demonize those who support tougher legislation on illegal immigration. Yes, this country was founded by immigrants. Yes, people from all different countries should be able to come here to live and work IF they do it legally. It would be a slap in the face to all of those who have come here legally and worked hard to become citizens if illegals were just handed the same rights.

[Pat]

Its good that the Mexican government is warning its citizens. Its like a sign that they actually care.

After all, our government has warned us about visiting Mexico.

[Jimmy]

I would proudly carry ID proving citizenship as should everyone if it would mean putting this country back together again. Laws are enforced everywhere we look, why look away for such a large breach of the law here. My wife and kids are from Mexico, if they have to carry some ID I think that’s a small price to pay in an attempt to regain our stability.

[Michael]

"May I see your papers please?"

[ak]

" "What precisely was legal about hundreds of thousands of Europeans immigrating here, killing millions of Indians, and settling down in the lands they stole? ...And don't even get me started about how we came by TX...

As a missionary told me, "Let he without sin throw the 1st stone." "

Hey... despise the country you live in? Legally move to another one... Canada maybe. :-P~~~

[sly]

From the Bill: "The bill also makes it a crime for a person to conceal, harbor,
or SHELTER from detection any illegal alien knowing or in
reckless disregard of the fact that the illegal alien has entered
or remained in the country illegally."

From the Bible: "And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you SHALL BE unto you AS ONE BORN AMONG YOU, and thou shalt love him as thyself..." Leviticus 19:33-34

This bill would make it a crime to even shelter, feed & clothe immigrants. I find it passing strange that those who beat the Bible the most conveniently forget the Scriptures when it suits their politics.

[az_phoenix]

mexico warning citizens not to go to arizona? - it sounds better than giving them map with routes of illegal boarder crossings.. what about killed americans in mexico, any outrages brought to mexico gov as well?

[30Something.]

Ah yes--the last refuge of a critical thinker.

"Disagree with me? Move to another country."

The problem with this legislation is that it's racist. Do you honestly think any illegal Irish, English, Australian or Canadian people are going to be demanded to produce documents? I doubt it.

I'm Italian. My family care here completely illegally like so many at the time. The only thing my mother did to 'earn' her citizenship it to pop out of HER mother's illegal womb. The only thing I did 'earn' my citizen ship was to be fortunate enough to be born here--which is the case for the vast majority of legal citizens. So please drop the arrogance like you have somehow done something to 'deserve' to be an American. You've done far less than a great number of the illegals who bus your tables and cut your grass.

[Anarchanon]

How will they "suspect them of being illegal immigrants" in a way that isn't profiling?

I've still never gotten an answer to that.

@ ak: SB's point is that all our founding fathers came here without documentation, and even butchered a native population to do so. The current illegals aren't engaged in genocide, at least.

I find them decent, hard working folk who actually took a risk to enjoy the fruits of this country. That's more than I can say for most people born here.

[aqua]

the law is already a federal law, just not being enforced by the feds. since the feds refuse to enforce, states have to take matters into their own hands. a state law would allow the essences of federal law to be enforced locally.

[gee]

Sitting Bull--

I understand your point, but unfortunately, you need to start dealing with reality.

To look at a situation in 2010 and relate it to the wrongs perpetrated over the last 1/2 millenia gets us no where. By your logic, the Norman french descendants should leave Britain, followed by the Anglo-Saxons. Anyone with Danish blood in Western Europe is probably descended from a Viking, so they're illegitimate also. Push the Scots-Irish descendants out of Northern Ireland, anyone with "Moorish" blood out of Spain, criminalize anyone with Mongol blood in Central Asia as a descendant of a conqueror . . . when does it end? Human history is the story people in transition. Are the Meztisos of Mexico 1/2 legitimate people since only part of their ancestry is indigenous to the continent?

Bottom line--you and I are both citizens of the United States, now, and going forward, and we need to take the security of our borders seriously. Mexico deals quite harshly with illegals entering southern Mexico from Central America--why? They understand that their social services can't handle the drain.

Right now, unfortunately, the life-boat is full in the U.S.

[gee]

If all illegals are hard-working, decent people, then why are so many sitting in US prisons?

Look--we can go around and around. No people is 100% good or evil. Even the Sitting Bull's romanticized "noble savages" who were indigenous to the continent featured many tribes who were feared, hated, and reviled by their fellow indigenous tribes.

The bottom line is this--the SW states are dealing with major problems in their emergency rooms, public schools, etc. $15 Billion flows home to Mexico each year, untaxed.

The sad part is, large companies, especially in the food industry, are largely to blame. The advertise in Mexico for workers, and even allow a small percentage of their underpaid employees to be deported each year--as long as the workforce as a whole remains intact.

I'd imagine most illegals would rather be able to enter the country legally and receive fair wages . . . or better yet, live in their own country and have the ability to work and support themselves at home.

[killemall]

Sitting Bull "this country was mine before it was yours" why do you think YOU can take credit for something YOU had nothing to do with. This county might have been inhabited by your ancestors, but it was NEVER YOURS!

[doggydaddy]

Somebody should detain that Arizona governor and check her papers. She looks like an illegal immigrant from Saggyjowlybottleblondistan to me.

[ak]

SB: I do understand what you're saying and I didn't ever say that it was right to have butchered native americans. I'm in agreement with gee though. The point here is that the country does need to regulate who comes and goes. You can't agree to that? This topic could to a million different ways depending on how technical you want to be, but the top is what should be done now... not what

And to 30Something: The reason that illegal Mexican immigrants are being focused on is that they are the majority of undocumented aliens coming into the country right now. The drug cartel violence may spread into the southern states more than it has already if nothing is done.

[clive]

you can come here legally....they are giving people amnesty...

[gee]

SB--good point, but the fact that our border security literally allows millions to slip-in the country annually without so much as one of those "state your business" questions one gets if you say, travel to a country in Europe makes it hard te separate the criminals from the job-seekers.

My biggest issue all along is this--the guy bussing my table or cutting my grass (actually speaking figuratively . . . I've always had to cut the grass myself since I was eleven) used to be a citizen. Then businesses began to say that Americans didn't want those jobs--no, Americans wanted to be paid a decent wage.

In the early 70's in central CA, the strawberry picker tried to organize for better conditions. They were all fired, and illegals, who couldn't complain to anyone, were bussed in. That's the real crime.

[bobcoejr]

round`em up ship`em out yahoo cowboy

[aqua]

I would have no problem with wide open illegal immigration if my government would not use my tax dollars to give illegals free medical and free education. We already have enough legal free-loaders as is.

and this BS about "show me your papers"

We have to carry papers driver's license to prove we are legal drivers.

If we go to other countries, we have to show our papers passports in order to get back in the United States, let alone travel in another country.

Any law-abiding citizen, whether from the United States, Mexico, Canada, ets..., would follow these simple rules.

[FanDanGo]

Hope that worked

[FanDanGo]

There, think I got the italics turned off.

Remember, folks, PREVIEW is your friend . . .

Now, back to the brouhaha!

[Brian Vincent]

As in the near future, Arizona's economy begins to far outpace the rest of the nation, their unbelievably high burden of costs of illegal aliens removed, much of the rest of the country will follow...

[Jane]

One of the main reasons why the fed isn’t going after illegals is that they don’t have the funds to do so and in many cases the power. Saying that, “the States should do what the fed isn’t” is a$$backwards. The congressmen and senators from THE STATES have refused time and again to adequately fund ICE.

That gives us the prime example of the state of Arizona passing their own form of immigration law enforcement that is in direct opposition to the Constitution. Arizona is puffing up their chests and strutting around like they expect change to happen yet they continue to elect and re-elect congressmen and senators that refuse to give ICE the power to do their jobs. THEN ON TOP OF THAT!!!! They now have their hat in hand asking the Fed for money to enforce their own state law!!!!

[tij]

Do people READ and UNDERSTAND the SB1070 word for word? It is a solid law. It is carefully crafted and a GENIUS law. A lot of things that opposing people talk about in this law is FALSE, HYPE, BASELESS, PROPAGANDA, SMEAR and a BUNCH OF LIES. The state of ARIZONA does NOT even have to enforce this law everyday and it will work. However, it does need to be uniformly enforced meaning that if the crime is there, enforce it, don't ignore it.

Read the intent of the law carefully. Arizona has no intention of deporting all illegal aliens. READ THE INTENT and discover what GENIUS of a law this is. I swear that Arizona will only have to probably do their everyday work like they are doing now like if the person committing a crime cannot provide a valid ID or DL, they check for immigration papers, this LAW will work like a charm. However, if they see violations stated in this bill, the law has to be enforced. This is the MOST GENIUS law I had ever seen.

Please read the SB1070 word for word. You will discover how genius of a law this is---- This law is a MASTERPIECE.

[GerryB4]

I agree with the Arizona law. If the Feds were doing the job, this would not be necessary, but they are not. I already have papers/passport which you can now get a card to carry the same size as your drivers license. We also need to change the law so there is no I-9 loopholes as exist today. Construction has a cop-out clause that lets them contract to allow a $600.00 limit to pay subcontractors, without any tax being paid. Once they earn the $600.00, they just start a "new" contract. This "hole" must be closed. I-9 should be required for ALL jobs. I know the ICE people cannot find/arrest all of the illegals. I would like the law to be changed so that when they do find some, the fine would be $10,000.00 a day for each day they have been working illegally. This money would help send them back and this would also put the burden where it belongs; on the people who hire illegals as they would have to pay the fine. If we close the door, they will stop coming. They come here and don't have a job skill or speak the language, but they are going to get rich? Other countries have and enforce the laws regulating just "who" gets the job; i.e. is there no American that needs/wants this job? Then, once documented, the job can be put out for anyone willing to work.
This all comes down to GREED! If I can hire workers that I do not have to pay Social Security and unemployment on and then give them a low wage, I'll make more money. This subverts the value of the system and only feeds the problem.

[doggydaddy]

Very astute, Jane. The root of this problem lies in the fact that the businesses profitting from illegal immigrant labor have a greater say in who gets elected and reelected than we working folk do, through campaign contributions and other forms of corruption. They not only influence the laws but also the budgets for enforcement. Remember that the illegal worker loses his advantage in the market by becoming legal, and as such no longer benefits the employer. As I said yesterday, when the penalty for employing illegals costs more than employing legal workers, and the odds of getting caught rise above "negligible", this problem solves itself.

[FanDanGo]

Look: Politicians and advocates do not want to effectively address illegal immigration for three reasons:

1) Cheap labor. As long as there are illegal immigrants willing to work for miserable wages, there will be employers willing to take risks and pay those crummy wages.

2) Social Security. Illegals often acquire, steal or forge social security cards. Some of the phony cards are quite difficult to distiguish from real ones. So the illegal immigrant and his or her employer pay Social Security and Medicare taxes -- thousands of dollars per worker that will never be tapped by the system! We're inflating Social Security and Medicare collections by billions of dollars annually -- money that will never be disbursed!

3) Demagoguery on both sides of the issue. On one side you have proponents of illegal immigration urging relaxed entry and decriminalization. On the other, you have the opponents ranting about how jobs are being lost and the culture is under assault. Both sides have followers. Neither really wants the issue to be resolved to their satisfaction. As long as this issue is in turmoil, demagogues get to make speeches and raise money.

Arizona's solution is a solution; other states will have to adopt similar policies or face inundation by illegal immigrants (note what the meth laws in Oklahoma did to surrounding states, for example.)

[Mamaw]

Sitting Bull, had we not allowed those illegal immigrants entry in the beginning we would still be the ones in control. I would think you would understand the bad consequenses of illegal immigrants better than most. Which brings us to: are you full blooded or just full of hot air?

[Anarchanon]

How will people "have suspicion a person is here illegaly" in a way that isn't profiling?

Still waiting...

[Jane]

GREAT ANRCHANON!!! WHOSE YOU GOING TO MAKE OUR TACOS NOW????

I hope you're happy!

[Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka]

Hey "Sitting Bull" - Why not be an original?

[the little guy]

I am posting for two reasons. First, I'm going to try to turn of the italics. Second, I think that that the Arizona law is fantastic. I hope Missouri follows suit.

[the little guy]

I failed.

[James Hart]

The italics are off.

Please, please, please do not try to do HTML markup if you do not know what you're doing.

Thanks,

The Management

[FanDanGo]

Okay James, if you management insists!

[ghost]

Do it Missouri...now!!!

I hope all states pass this. Time is over due to address this ILLEGAL ALIEN problem.

United States has a "front door" for immigration....use it or go back to your own country. Doesn't matter to me whether you are Youst from Sweden or Pedro from Mexico...illegal is illegal.

Use the FRONT DOOR...and don't forget to wipe your feet on the mat on the way in.

[James Hart]

Fan: Touche!

[Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka]

So now it is fair game to assume each other's screen names to make arguments?

Sounds like one huge chaotic straw man tornado.

[James Hart]

TI -- Didn't realize that wasn't you posting under the Sitting Bull nickname.

To whoever's been using the SB name in this thread: Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka is the same name as Sitting Bull, and TI used to post under that name / spelling. I don't think you meant any harm, but for clarity's sake, it would be a big help if you used something else. Thanks.

[Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka]

Sounds like a straw man to me, James.

If not, brother, glad to have you but please pick another Native American moniker so as to not confuse other posters.

Pilamayaye.

Wowahwa,

Sitting Bull

[Geronimo]

Didn't know anyone had coined the name, Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka. Didn't mean any confusion.

[Ugh]

I don't care who is here as long as they have a job and pay taxes! I don't even care if you can't speak English but you better not get upset with me when I don't understand you!

But you tick me off when my hard working tax dollars go to a person getting vast benefits I don't get and then send the paycheck home.

Nothing makes me more upset than someone who can't speak English, paying with a state welfare debit card for thier steaks, in front of me at the grocery line!

[gee]

Will the real Sitting Bull please stand up . . .

[Anarchanon]

"GREAT ANRCHANON!!! WHOSE YOU GOING TO MAKE OUR TACOS NOW????" - Jane

Hey now, the theory which attributes the shortage of tacos to my actions cannot be verified at this time; further research is required. 8P

Seriously though, I wholeheardly support these persecuted folk. They'd take time out of their day to fix your car, and you have to force a twenty into their hands afterwards. Legality be damned.

[raf]

My dear Americans..

With the great respect I feel for this country,i tell this and i have no intention to offend anyone.

None of the laws, gigantic walls, or thousands of border agents will work, ..they are merely pacifiers for the people who rebel against illegal immigration.
The concept of the solution is actually very simple, but nobody and i mean nobody dares to even mention it.

Until when are you going to leave the ilegal immigrants alone?? you are barking at the wrong tree. They come here becuase there is a job..one way or another they will find a job.

why? Becuase the greedy business companies want to make more profit thru cheap labor. Go after the employers instead, put out laws with extremely severe penalites for those employers to a point where the benefit or hiring an ilegal immigrant doesnt overcome the risk. Go there, when you get that done, there will be no jobs and if there are no jobs, the ilegal immigrants will leave or stay where there are no jobs (their homeland). In the meantime, while you keep barking at the wrong tree, there are many that call themselves americans and talk bad about ilegal immigration while there is a group of ilegals outside doing their landscape, or cooking at their kitchen, or washing their clothes, or cleaning their garden.

We are blind by choice my dear Americans. Leave the racism, the hate, anger, and all other things you feel for ilegal immigration aside and you will see it clearly.

When all the ilegal aliens leave, be ready for a job, there will be plenty of openings in chicken plants, cattle feedyards (cleaning the manure), diswashing in every restaurant you know, housekeeping in rich mansions, landscaping, ROOFING,. ohhh! and the next time you need a roof, ask your roofing company to send a group of only american citizens becuase you don't want to contribute to ilegal immigration. Good luck finding that group.

Blind by choice my dear Americans.

[Ski]

Unfortunately for the local governments that enforce this law, they will inevitably make a mistake and detain a rightful citizen, for probably days. When this happens that local government will get the pants sued off of them, which in turn will hurt their citizens. I don't mind trying to get a handle on illegal immagrants, but not at the expense of rightful citizens.

[Debby]

Yes. If I have to show picture ID to get into my office since 911, then they too should be able to show evidence.

[Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka]

The "real" Sitting Bull can't stand up. Thus the quarter-blooded Cherokee stuck in a wheelchair spouting BS with a Lakota name.

My maternal Grandfather was full blooded. I'm disabled.

Get it?

"Sitting" Bull

[Ed]

May I propose that we simply adopt the same laws for illegal aliens that Mexico has (and enforces):

Illegal entry into the country is equivalent to a felony punishable by two years' imprisonment. Document fraud is subject to fine and imprisonment; so is alien marriage fraud. Evading deportation is a serious crime; illegal re-entry after deportation is punishable by ten years' imprisonment.

That seems fair and no one could say that it's discriminatory.

[Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotȟaŋka]

Not to mention he is one of my favorite historical heroes.