Immigrants; prohibit Mississippi agencies from assisting federal agencies transporting into Mississippi.
Impact
The legislation mandates the Department of Public Safety to actively gather information about illegal aliens transported from the Southwest Border, aiming to track their status and presence within Mississippi. It also empowers law enforcement to detain vehicles suspected of transporting illegal aliens if there is a reasonable suspicion of illegal activity. Additionally, the bill requires state agencies to assess and report expenditures related to the healthcare of illegal aliens, thereby outlining a framework for fiscal accountability and transparency regarding state spending on this demographic.
Summary
House Bill 231 establishes a strict prohibition against Mississippi state agencies, departments, and commissions from providing support or resources to the federal government, specifically the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in relation to transporting illegal aliens into the state. The bill clearly defines pertinent terms such as 'illegal alien', 'unaccompanied alien child', and 'evidence of need', laying the groundwork for further provisions regarding the treatment and handling of such individuals within the state.
Contention
One notable aspect of contention lies in the bill's requirement for state agencies to gather extensive data on illegal immigrants, potentially raising concerns about civil liberties and the implications of increased surveillance. Furthermore, the provisions for conducting welfare checks on unaccompanied alien children by residential agencies could lead to debates on the adequacy of welfare systems and their implications for child rights and protections. Advocates on both sides argue about the ethical responsibilities of the state towards vulnerable populations in the face of a complex immigration crisis, with some viewing these measures as necessary for enforcement and others as harmful overreach.
Mississippi Real Estate Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board; separate from Mississippi Real Estate Commission and from Mississippi Real Estate Appraisal Board.
Secure the Border Act of 2023 This bill addresses issues regarding immigration and border security, including by imposing limits to asylum eligibility. For example, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; provides statutory authorization for Operation Stonegarden, which provides grants to law enforcement agencies for certain border security operations; prohibits DHS from processing the entry of non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) arriving between ports of entry; limits asylum eligibility to non-U.S. nationals who arrive in the United States at a port of entry; authorizes the removal of a non-U.S. national to a country other than that individual's country of nationality or last lawful habitual residence, whereas currently this type of removal may only be to a country that has an agreement with the United States for such removal; expands the types of crimes that may make an individual ineligible for asylum, such as a conviction for driving while intoxicated causing another person's serious bodily injury or death; authorizes DHS to suspend the introduction of certain non-U.S. nationals at an international border if DHS determines that the suspension is necessary to achieve operational control of that border; prohibits states from imposing licensing requirements on immigration detention facilities used to detain minors; authorizes immigration officers to permit an unaccompanied alien child to withdraw their application for admission into the United States even if the child is unable to make an independent decision to withdraw the application; imposes additional penalties for overstaying a visa; and requires DHS to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system and requires all employers to use the system.