Hawley supports penalties for companies hiring undocumented workers as Missouri leaders push immigration enforcement
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) says he supports penalties for corporations that hire undocumented immigrants for cheap labor, as state leaders prepare to assist the federal government in immigration enforcement.
“They shouldn't do that. I mean, why would places like Tyson Foods have taken away jobs in the state of Missouri from Missouri residents and given them to illegals, including children, by the way, illegals who have been trafficked into child labor? Why should they get by with that?” Hawley told ABC 17 News. “My message is to these big corporations that have been taking away jobs from Americans and giving them to labor traffickers is you're going to be in trouble for sure.”
Both Hawley and Gov. Mike Kehoe have stated that Missouri is committed to aiding President Donald Trump’s efforts in enforcing his immigration policy.
Missouri's immigration crackdown
Kehoe signed executive orders on his first day in office earlier this month aimed at positioning Missouri to support federal immigration enforcement efforts. One order requires law enforcement to include the immigration status of individuals in arrest reports.
His proposed state budget includes $4 million for testing school wastewater for fentanyl and addressing high-use fentanyl areas for law enforcement.
“Missouri will work with President Trump to crack down on illegal immigration and the deadly drugs and criminals that have flooded through our borders,” Kehoe said during Tuesday’s State of the State address. “Crime, illegal immigration, and drugs—these are the things that threaten the success of Missourians. But we have fantastic partners who are committed to working to get these priorities accomplished.”
However, state Rep. Gregg Bush (D-Columbia) has expressed skepticism about prioritizing stricter enforcement measures in Missouri.
"I knocked on more than 6,000 doors, personally, and had around 1,000 conversations on people's doorsteps in District 50. Immigration was not in the top-five priorities of anyone," Bush said.
The Laken Riley Act
On Wednesday, Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, which mandates the detention and potential deportation of undocumented immigrants accused of theft or violent crimes, regardless of whether they are convicted.
Hawley was one of 64 U.S. senators who voted in favor of the bill. Critics argue it undermines due process and benefits private prison companies at taxpayers' expense.
“If someone wants to point a finger and accuse someone of shoplifting, they will be rounded up and put in a private detention camp and sent out for deportation without a day in court,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said during a Senate hearing that was recorded by CSPAN. “Private prison companies are going to get flooded with money. I want folks at home to look at what members of Congress are invested in private prison companies.”
Hawley, who accepted donations from PACs aligned with private prison firms during his 2018 campaign, dismissed claims that the bill benefits private prisons as “totally unfounded.”
“What it does is it says that if you are an illegal alien and you commit a crime of violence, you are going to get detained and you are going to get deported and that matters in our state because we've had illegals commit crimes of violence,” he said. “For example, Travis Wolfe, a 12-year-old boy in the St. Louis area, was mowed down just over a year ago by an illegal who was doing 75 in a 40, had a criminal record. Never should have been here.”
Local law enforcement and ICE
Boone County currently has nine detainees with immigration holds, but Capt. Brian Leer, of the sheriff's office, said all nine have other charges and are not in custody solely for immigration violations. He added that when the sheriff’s office arrests someone on local charges, they notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate whether the individual is in the country illegally.
Randolph County Sheriff Andy Boggs said his county has two detainees with immigration holds. However, Cole and Callaway counties reported no individuals in custody on immigration detainers.
Trump has called on local law enforcement to assist ICE with mass deportations. Both the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and Columbia Police Department said they have not been contacted by ICE.
Leer said Boone County’s jail is already over capacity, forcing officials to house detainees in multiple counties across Mid-Missouri. He added that the Boone County Sheriff’s Office has no formal agreement with ICE and has not discussed entering one. Requests from federal agencies, including ICE, are handled on a case-by-case basis.
The Columbia Police Department's policy directs specific requests for assistance from ICE or other federal agencies to a supervisor. The department may provide support services such as traffic control or peacekeeping efforts but does not enforce administrative immigration violations.
“In 2023, the City of Columbia and the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Office in Kansas City entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in investigating crimes that target individuals and networks engaged in human and sex trafficking,” CPD said in a statement. “These crimes disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Within this Memorandum of Understanding, there is wording that specifically excludes conveying the authority to enforce administrative violations of immigration law to employees of the Columbia Police Department.”
Check back for updates.