A Missouri state senator has introduced a new bill that would create a statewide hotline where people could report suspected undocumented immigrants. If a report leads to an arrest, the person who provided the information could receive a $1,000 reward.
The idea comes from Republican Senator David Gregory, and the tip hotline is included in Senate Bill 72 (SB 72), which aims to create a state-level ICE (State Immigration and Customs Enforcement ). The bill would authorize Missouri law enforcement agents to cooperate with federal agencies and investigate illegal immigration at the state level.
Republicans across the country are seeking anti-immigration strategies aligned with the demands of President Donald Trump, who has made the war on migrants a central element of the 2024 election campaign. The issue has helped the Republican party gain seats and control of both chambers in Congress.
Trump has demanded daily migrant deportation quotas from ICE, which the agency struggles to meet. The administration is also waging war on cities and states that have sanctuary laws on their books, meaning that they refuse to cooperate with federal requests, depending on the circumstances.
A large majority of Democrats and Republicans agree that the immigration system is broken, according to a recent New York Times/Ipsos poll. However, Americans are divided over the implementation of deportation policies and the assistance migrants should receive.
There are an estimated 20,000 Missourians in mixed-status households, with many of the immigrants in these households having lived in the United States for nearly two decades.
According to the American Immigration Council’s latest estimate of 2022, there are about 59,300 undocumented immigrants in the state.
