'I promised to make Missouri a national leader in combating illegal immigration,' David Gregory said
An incoming Missouri state lawmaker introduced a bill to provide $1,000 to people who report illegal migrants to authorities.
Republican state Sen.-elect David Gregory proposed a measure that would offer $1,000 to any person who turned in an illegal migrant who is subsequently arrested.
SB 72 would allow the state's Department of Public Safety to "develop an information system for people to report violations of this act which shall include a toll-free telephone hotline, e-mail and online reporting portal."
Immigrants line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on December 7, 2023, in Lukeville, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)
The bill would also create the "Missouri Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program" which would allow local citizens to serve as bounty hunters "for the purpose of finding and detaining illegal aliens" in the state.
Only bail bond agents and surety recovery agents may apply to the program to serve as bounty hunters.
The proposal would also make it a felony for anyone to be in the state as an illegal migrant.
ANOTHER MAJOR BLUE CITY DOUBLES DOWN ON VOW TO OBSTRUCT TRUMP'S MASS DEPORTATION PLAN
Migrants wait in line to enter the shelter set up by the authorities for migrants as migrants wait for an appointment through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) one application in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on May 23, 2023. (Christian Torres Chavez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"As I ran for State Senate, I promised to make Missouri a national leader in combating illegal immigration," Gregory said in a post on the social media platform X.
"Now, I'm following through with my promise. SB 72 makes it a felony to be here illegally and the bill will finally allow Missouri law enforcement to find and arrest illegal immigrants," he continued. "We need all hands on deck to ensure we catch illegal immigrants BEFORE they commit violent crimes."
Migrants board a state-sponsored bus to New York outside the Mission: Border Hope non-profit organization in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Christopher Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
President-elect Trump has promised mass deportations in his second administration.
