Issues - Immigration

The State of Mississippi: Helping to Control our Borders

Providing a secure border is a primary responsibility of the federal government.  For decades, however, our nation’s borders have not been secured as well as they should, which puts our nation’s security at risk and makes our immigration laws largely irrelevant.  Under Governor Haley Barbour, the State of Mississippi is helping fill the void.

Giving State and Local Government Law Enforcement New Tools in Fighting Illegal Immigration

  1. Governor Barbour is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Custom Enforcement to get state law enforcement agencies increased resources to pursue investigations relating to illegal immigration, human smuggling, illegal drugs, and money laundering.  For example, this new authority would also allow the Department of Corrections to investigate suspected illegal immigrants in the prison system so that after they complete their sentences, they will be deported instead of paroled.   
  3. To assist in the policing of non-English speaking populations, the Barbour Administration has implemented Spanish training courses for state and local law enforcement officers.
Fighting Identity Theft
  1. Securing false documents is key to settling illegally in the United States.  Governor Barbour has directed the Department of Public Safety to train all drivers’ license examiners to identify fraudulent documents to help prevent the serious crime of identity theft.  In addition, he will continue to push to prosecute any state employee who betrays the public trust by participating in any scheme to sell drivers’ licenses fraudulently.

Enlisting Employers to Help Enforce Federal and State Immigration Laws

  1. Governor Barbour recognizes the need for the State of Mississippi to remain vigilant in ensuring that all state workers have the proper, legal documentation needed to work for the taxpayers of Mississippi.  Governor Barbour has directed the Executive Directors of the State’s Departments and agencies to actively review the employment eligibility of its current and new employees to ensure they are in accordance with current federal and state law. 
  3. The state can help make sure employers hire only legal workers by providing businesses with information about the legal status of workers.   Under Governor Barbour’s leadership, the Department of Public Safety will work with employers by providing periodic status checks of employees through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center.

No Taxpayer Support for Illegal Immigrants

  1. It is the policy of the State of Mississippi that illegal aliens may not legally receive state benefits under state and federal law.  In Mississippi, illegal immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid, welfare, unemployment benefits, or food stamps.
  3. In 2007, both the PACCAR and Toyota Memorandums of Understanding and legislation included language which specifies that the employers’ commitment may not be met by employing illegal aliens. 

Deploying the Mississippi National Guard to Enforce the Border

  1. Governor Barbour has authorized the deployment of all-volunteer units to assist in the United States border mission.  Mississippi National Guard units have participated in the apprehension of more than 250 illegal aliens through overhead aircraft surveillance.  These volunteer deployments also have provided valuable training missions for our troops.

Addressing Worker Shortages

  1. Governor Barbour recognizes and appreciates guest workers who are employed in the United States legally.  From Gulf Coast reconstruction to Delta agriculture, the Mississippi economy benefits from legal immigrant labor. 
  3. While fighting the illegal flow of alien workers into Mississippi, it is important to address the ever-growing problem of worker shortages, especially in the construction, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors.  During the Barbour Administration, state support for our community colleges has increased 52%, including more than doubling state support for workforce training.  In addition, Governor Barbour recently launched a plan for Centers for Excellence in Metal Trades and Construction to train Mississippians for the estimated 200,000 jobs that will be available in our state by 2014.