Republican-led states implement plans that could support mass deportation of Trump

As President-elect Donald Trump forms his Cabinet, Republican governors and lawmakers in some states are already introducing proposals that could help him fulfill his promise to deport millions of people who live in the United States unauthorizedly.

Lawmakers in a growing number of states are proposing giving local law enforcement the power to arrest people who entered the country illegally, mirroring recent laws in Texas and elsewhere that have been put on hold while courts weigh whether they unconstitutionally usurp federal authority. .

Other legislation introduced ahead of next year’s legislative sessions would require local law enforcement agencies to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when they detain someone who is in the country illegally, even if the charges have nothing to do with your immigration status.

Although not specifically requested by Trump, many of the state proposals would complement his immigration policies.

“We would find people who are violating this law, and we would deliver them directly to the nearest port of deportation so they can be removed in a safe and orderly manner,” said Missouri state Sen. Curtis Trent, who is sponsoring one of the proposals.

The United States Department of Homeland Security estimates that 11 million unauthorized migrants were living in the country in 2022, according to the latest available statistics. During his campaign, Trump spoke of creating “the largest mass deportation program in history” and proposed using the National Guard and domestic police forces in the measure.

Some Democratic-led states are already showing resistance. The California Legislature has called a special session to try to protect people from potential Trump policies, including increasing legal help for migrants facing deportation.

Lawmakers in numerous states are likely to try to thwart or cooperate with Trump’s immigration agenda, Tim Storey, CEO of the National Conference of State Legislatures, said Monday.

In Missouri, Trent’s bill would give local officers the power to arrest people for a new state crime of “trespassing by an alien,” punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a court-ordered transfer to the border of the United States.

Another bill, proposed by Missouri state senator-elect David Gregory, would also create a state crime and offer a $1,000 reward to tipsters who alert police about people who are in the country illegally. It would allow private bounty hunters to find and apprehend them.

While some jurisdictions refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials, “we are stepping up and finding a way to help,” Gregory said in a statement Tuesday.

Missouri Republican Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe has not endorsed a specific legislative plan after campaigning against illegal immigration and the plague of fentanyl being smuggled across the U.S. border. But he told The Associated Press: “If they are here illegally, that should definitely trigger something more than it currently does.”

Migrant advocacy groups are already expressing alarm about some state proposals. The proposed reward system in Missouri “would create absolute chaos and division,” said Ashley DeAzevedo, president of American Families United, a group that advocates for U.S. citizens married to foreigners.

Although many Americans support a path to citizenship for people living in the United States illegally, Support for deportation has also grown.

More than 4 in 10 voters said most migrants who are in the United States illegally should be deported to the country they came from, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters in this year’s election. That’s up from about 3 in 10 in 2020.

More than half of voters said most migrants who are in the United States illegally should have the opportunity to apply for legal status, down from about 7 in 10 who said this in 2020, according to AP VoteCast.

Many Republicans point to Texas as a model for immigration enforcement. Its $11 billion Operation Lone Star program has erected razor wire and other barriers along the border with Mexico, stationed state troopers and Texas National Guard members in border cities and bussed thousands of migrants to “sanctuary” cities led by Democrats such as New York, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and Washington.

Texas agents have also made tens of thousands of arrests, including many for trespassing.

Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” visited Texas last month and said his border security tactics could be a model for the Trump administration. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office confirmed that he has been in regular contact with Trump’s team about strategies.

Following Texas’ lead, Republican-led legislatures in Iowa, Louisiana and Oklahoma passed measures allowing officers to arrest people who are in the United States illegally.

Shortly after Trump’s election, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he was working on a plan to deport some of the more than 500 migrants currently in Oklahoma prisons who are not citizens with legal status.

Arizona voters also approved a ballot measure last month that allows local police to arrest migrants suspected of entering illegally from Mexico, although it will not take effect until a similar law in Texas or another state has been in effect for 60 days. consecutive.

Other Republican state measures seek to increase cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox recently announced an initiative to improve coordination with federal officials to identify undocumented migrants in the state’s criminal justice system and hand them over for deportation. Cox said there will be “zero tolerance” for “those who prove to be a threat to public safety while in the country illegally.”

A Georgia law enacted earlier this year requires jailers to verify the immigration status of inmates and request help enforcing federal immigration laws.

The measure gained traction after the murder of University of Georgia student Laken Riley. A Venezuelan man who had entered the United States illegally was convicted of killing her and sentenced to life in prison.

North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature last month overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to enact a law ordering local police chiefs to comply with requests from federal immigration agents to hold inmates. This occurred after several Democratic police chiefs in urban counties refused to cooperate with ICE.

Other Democratic governors facing Republican-led legislatures are resisting the possibility of widespread deportation plans. Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said she supports deporting people who commit crimes while living in the United States illegally, but will not send the National Guard to help enforce federal immigration laws.

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who also faces a Republican-led legislature, said undocumented migrants “are a really important part of our economy” in sectors like agriculture and manufacturing.

“Trying to get them out of the country is irrational,” Evers said. “So we will do everything we can to avoid it.”

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