‘$1,000 per person’: Missouri lawmaker proposes paying residents to catch undocumented neighbors

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - New plans are being discussed in Jefferson City this week, including a proposed bounty hunter program for illegal immigrants.

The proposed bill would pay people to catch those they believe to be in the United States illegally.

Senate Bill 72 was pre-filed to the Missouri legislature. It is sponsored by House Representative David Gregory.

Gregory wants to pay Missourians $1000 to find and detain illegal immigrants in the state.

The first part of the bill reads that someone in Missouri illegally is “prohibited from voting in any election, receiving any permit or license to drive, receive any public benefit, and becoming a legal resident of this state.”

It’s important to note that it is already illegal to vote if you are not a citizen.

It also states the Department of Public Safety should develop an information system for people to report violations.

The bill says funds would be appropriated by the General Assembly.

Attorneys are now reacting, saying the idea of putting a bounty on someone’s head is “incredibly dangerous”.

“As a civil rights attorney this is great for me. It’ll take one week for a Puerto Rican to be harassed. This is a classic demanding papers situation - you must have your papers everywhere. This is Nazi stuff,” said Immigration and Civil Rights Attorney, Javad Khazalei.

Gregory released a statement saying in part:

“We all know the illegal immigration crisis continues to be one of the top concerns of Americans, and it’s a crisis that can only be fixed with a collaborative effort. The Department of Public Safety receives tips and law enforcement conducts the investigation. If they determine someone is illegal, an arrest warrant is issued and the arrest is conducted only by law enforcement or licensed bounty hunters trained and dispatched by the Department of Public Safety,”

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