Mississippi Law to Compile List of Undocumented Immigrants Sparks Alarm

A new Mississippi law set to take effect Wednesday authorizes the state's Department of Public Safety to compile a list of all undocumented immigrants living in the state, sparking alarm among immigrant advocates who fear it could facilitate targeted deportations under President Trump's immigration agenda. The law allows the use of "all reasonable lawful investigative means" to gather names, addresses, country of origin, age, criminal history, and deportation status of undocumented individuals. While the law does not explicitly require or prohibit sharing this data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), advocates worry it could become a tool for increased enforcement.

Republican State Sen. Angela Hill, the bill's sponsor, defends it as a "commonsense" measure to understand the scope of illegal immigration, which she links to crimes like human and drug trafficking. However, critics, including Efrén Olivares of the National Immigration Law Center, argue the approach is "practically unworkable" and ominously reminiscent of lists used to target specific groups in other countries. Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies supports the law, seeing it as a logical step to identify and potentially deport those in the country illegally.

Mississippi has one of the smallest percentages of undocumented immigrants (less than 1% of its population), according to the American Immigration Council. Despite this, the law reflects a national trend of over 100 state-level immigration bills this year, with Republican-led states generally supporting stricter enforcement and Democratic-led states pushing back with protective measures. The closest parallel is a 2021 Florida executive order under Gov. Ron DeSantis, though its outcomes are unclear.

Concerns include the potential for profiling, erosion of trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, and the redirection of resources away from public protection. Lydia Grizzell of the ACLU of Mississippi warns that such measures could deter immigrants from seeking necessary interactions with law enforcement, undermining public safety.

The law's practical challenges are also highlighted, given the dynamic nature of immigration status and the state's limited resources for accurate, ongoing tracking.

**[PHOTO CREDIT REMOVED AS PER INSTRUCTIONS]**