Press "Enter" to skip to content

Brown announces first meeting date for Interim Committee on Illegal Immigration

Jefferson City, Mo. — State Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla, has announced the Missouri Senate Interim Committee on Illegal Immigration will conduct its first meeting on Wednesday, June 29 at the State Capitol in Jefferson City.

The committee has been established to examine varying aspects of illegal immigration and its effects on the Show-Me State.

The goal of the Interim Committee is to understand and identify ways to discourage illegal immigration and capture revenues the state is missing from the underground economy. Committee members also plan to look into the abuses of out-of-state companies bringing illegal immigrants into Missouri to work without paying state taxes or obeying Missouri’s labor laws.

“With illegal drugs continuing to flow across the Southern border, and our local communities incurring increased law enforcement and social services costs related to illegal immigration, time is of the essence for the committee to begin its work,” Sen. Brown said. “Our federal government has failed to make progress in stemming the tide of illegal immigration that is plaguing our country, so it’s imperative the states take action on their own.”

The committee is made up of six senators. Led by Chairman Brown the other members include Vice Chairman Sen. Mike Cierpiot (R-Jackson County), Sen. Doug Beck (D-St. Louis County), Sen. Mike Bernskoetter (R-Cole County), Sen. Karla Eslinger (R-West Plains), and Sen. Barbara Washington (D-Jackson County).

The Interim Committee on Illegal Immigration will seek to identify ways to discourage illegal immigration and propose legislative responses to address issues relating to undocumented workers in Missouri.

The start of the committee’s work closely follows an announcement by Gov. Mike Parson that Missouri would join 25 other states calling for the establishment of the American Governors’ Border Strike Force.

The strike force is a multi-state effort to disrupt criminal organizations, combat human smuggling and stop the flow of illegal drugs.

For information about the Interim Committee on Illegal Immigration, you can visit the senate website, here.

Featured Image: Sen. Justin Brown on the Senate floor in Jefferson City on Feb. 23. Brown is the Chair of the Interim Committee on Illegal Immigration.