Missouri legislators are currently examining criminal activities associated with unlawful immigration, however, members of the Hispanic community in Missouri are worried about the potential negative consequences that may arise from this scrutiny.
The Missouri House Committee on Undocumented Immigrant Crimes held its inaugural meeting in Jefferson City last Thursday. The committee has planned to tour the state and convene in various cities, including Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Cape Girardeau, and Joplin.
As an immigration lawyer and an immigrant himself from Colombia, Herman Gonzalez Herrera holds serious concerns regarding the newly established Missouri House committee on illegal immigrant crimes. He fears that the committee’s formation may lead to an increase in hate crimes against Missourians from other countries, irrespective of their immigration status.
Gonzalez Herrara shared that a lot of her clients had to leave their home countries due to being victims of severe crimes such as rape, kidnapping, murder, and torture. She expressed their confusion regarding the accusations of being rapists, murderers, and other derogatory labels.
The FBI data has revealed that in Missouri, almost 60% of hate crimes are committed based on a person’s race or ethnicity. The bureau’s data indicates that there were 119 racially motivated hate crimes in the state in 2022.
During the committee meeting, Gonzalez Herrera raised a question about the use of the phrase “illegal immigrant” in the committee’s name. However, his comment did not receive any response from the lawmakers.
Earlier this month, outgoing House Speaker Dean Plocher formed a special committee aimed at addressing violent crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.
During a news conference, Plocher emphasized that those who are not in Missouri legally will be detained and deported if they commit crimes. He emphasized the importance of this message to deter illegal activity.
When the committee was announced, lawmakers were requested to provide supporting evidence for their assertion that immigrants were responsible for a significant number of violent crimes. However, they could not produce the data when asked.
During the hearing on Thursday, Representative Lane Roberts, a Republican from Joplin and the committee chair, stated that the committee would uncover the necessary data. He repeatedly emphasized his desire to obtain information on crimes committed against immigrants, as he believes that such crimes are not being properly reported.
Roberts stated that their task is to determine the extent of the issue at hand.
According to a report released by the U-S Department of Justice in 2020, individuals who are natural-born citizens have a higher likelihood of being arrested for violent crimes, with a rate twice as high as others.
Governor Mike Parson has rejected a sum of $6 million from the House’s allocated budget of $8.2 million that was intended for a National Guard mission to the southern border of the United States.