Senator Josh Hawley unveils bill that would allow states to enforce federal immigration law, deport migrants

Official U.S. Senate Photo

No stranger to controversy, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), a Yale-trained lawyer, is again in the news for taking extreme conservative positions.  Yesterday, Senator Hawley introduced legislation to give states the authority to enforce U.S. immigration law and empower states to implement deportation operations. "The measure from the Missouri Republican has virtually no chance of becoming law, but is intended to serve as a rebuke of Democratic President Joe Biden’s approach to immigration enforcement."

Republican Governors Greg Abbott of Texas, Doug Ducey (Arizona), and Ron DeSantis (Florida), have grabbed widespread attention for transporting migrants to so-called sanctuary states.

Here is Senator Hawley's press release announcing the bill:

"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Empowering States to Deport Illegal Immigrants Act, new legislation that will give authority for states to enforce federal immigration laws and prosecute anyone who illegally enters the country that is residing in their state. With a rise in illegal drug trafficking and a surge in illegal border crossings over the past year, this bill will help protect American families and communities.

Due to the Biden Administration’s disastrous immigration policies, the United States is experiencing an unprecedented wave of illegal immigration. In 2022, there were more than 2 million border encounters, up nearly 470% since 2020. This does not account for illegal immigrants who entered our country without being encountered by Customs and Border Protection. Democrats fought hard to end President Trump’s Remain-in-Mexico policy, and doing so has contributed to a rise in crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking across the southern border into the United States. 
. . . . 

The Empowering States to Deport Illegal Immigrants Act would allow states to:

• Remove illegal immigrants from the country, not just send them to other states
• Stop the record-high wave of illegal immigrants pouring over the southern border, which not only affects border states, but the rest of the United States
• Prosecute people who commit crimes while entering the country illegally"

KJ