Missouri House of Representatives Special Interim Committee on “Illegal Immigrant” Crimes
Updated 9/6/24:
Testimony Submitted to the Missouri House of Representatives Special Interim Committee on “Illegal Immigrant” Crimes by Ashrei Founder, Rabbi Susan Talve:
I am grateful to have served this community and the State of Missouri as a member of the clergy for over 40 years and I thank you for making time to hear my testimony today. As a member of the clergy my work has been to minister to the needs of people in times of sorrow and in times of joy and to bridge the divides that allow for the demonization of people who may look and sound different. The work of our faith community is to see the value in all human life and to treat all people with dignity and respect, all of us, we believe, made in the image of God.
I have spent my entire career fighting the damage that profiling does to families, communities and to our collective soul. This is personal for me and for most of us. All four of my grandparents were immigrants escaping religious persecution who had to fight for legal status when quotas made it difficult. I identify with the 13 million people in this country, who are considered ‘Illegal.’ The vast majority are hardworking people who we count on for many, many essential services. Good people like my grandparents who are productive members of our communities who have escaped war and famine and political unrest to save their families and build a better future as they add to our promise to welcome the stranger
A better use of our time and energy and resources would be to form a Committee to find ways to welcome our immigrants and end their “illegal” status. As citizens they would be able to help identify and fight crime without fear of retribution and continue to help to build and support our “nation of immigrants.” Every faith community knows that the soul of our community is bound up with how we welcome the stranger. The assumptions in the very name and formation of this committee are not supported by any data and will destroy the trust we need to keep our communities safe. This is the time to see the holiness in everyone and work together to make sure that in the long tradition of what has made America great, our immigrants and their contributions, continue to be welcome here.
In early July of 2024 House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, announced the formation of a new committee to look into the rate of crime committed by illegal immigrants in Missouri.
A Fox2Now article on the topic reports:
Republicans say in the past year, the problem has only gotten worse, while Democrats say this is a waste of taxpayer resources. House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, who terms out later this year, announced the formation of a new committee Tuesday. He said he hopes this sets the message for the state that if you’re here illegally and committing crimes, you’re going to be detained and deported.
Over the summer months, the committee planned hearings in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Joplin and Cape Girardeau to talk with law enforcement agencies.
Hearings held thus far can be viewed here:
7/30/24 Springfield, MO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPolWLwH7Dk
7/31/24 Joplin, MO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzhY8B6Xt_k
8/13/24 Kansas City, MO
Other committee meetings can be viewed here.
The St. Louis Hearing is set for Tuesday, September 3rd.
A statement from our partners at the MICA Project:
The Missouri House of Representatives has formed a Special Interim Committee on “Illegal Immigrant” Crimes. The committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday September 3 at 11:00 am.
One of the goals of this committee is to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to assess criminal activities involving undocumented immigrant in the state and devise effective solutions to address them.
Our immigrant neighbors, regardless of their immigration status, are not a threat to our communities. Ample evidence demonstrates this. The committee is creating a false problem to demonize undocumented immigrants. This will lead to increased distrust between immigrant families and individuals and law enforcement agencies.
The MICA Project will be present at the hearing to send the message that IMMIGRANTS ARE WELCOME HERE! We invite you to join us!
How to Act:
To join in person, arrive at the St. Louis Public Library - Central Library, Auditorium - Lower Level, 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, prior to 11:00 am on Tuesday, September 3rd.
ADA Accommodations are available. Please contact the House ADA Coordinator, Greg Sandbothe at (573) 526-0594. 711 for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
To livestream, visit: https://www.facebook.com/mohousecomm
Link to send your written testimony: https://witness.house.mo.gov/Default.aspx?noticeid=9063
