Missouri could consider plan to offer bounty for reporting illegal immigrants

The legislation would also create the “Missouri Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program,” which would certify anyone licensed as a bail bond agent to be a bounty hunter to search for and detain illegal immigrants.

Illegal immigrants found in Missouri without proper documents could be found guilty of “trespass by an illegal alien,” and therefore couldn’t receive any public benefit, vote in any election, get a permit or license to drive, or ever become a legal resident of the state.

The proposals are part of seven bills that have been introduced so far in the state legislature that focus on immigration. Other Republican proposals would require businesses to make sure all employees are documented, fine cities $25,000 per day for enacting sanctuary policies, and create a new immigration offense with penalties including jail time and removal, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Earlier this year, Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson also authorized $2.2 million to deploy Highway Patrol and National Guardsmen to Texas to assist in the state’s “Operation Lonestar” efforts to secure the border.

President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on enacting mass deportations of the approximately 11 million illegal immigrants believed to be in the US as soon as he takes office.