America
States Help Find, Deport Illegals
T
They’re fed up with cost of housing migrants. BY JOHN O. EDWARDS
he trump administration has a powerful new ally in its fight against illegal immigra- tion — state leaders are jump-
ing into the battle like never before. Just one example: West Virginia Gov.
Patrick Morrisey ordered all his state’s law-enforcement entities to “fully coop- erate with President Trump’s executive order securing our borders.” He also directed state correctional
officers to transport “criminal aliens” to federal immigration authorities, thereby “speeding up the deporta- tion process.” Other states jumping into the fight
over immigration and deportation: Florida legislators used a special
session to create a state immigration enforcement division. Now under judicial review, the bill would outlaw any legislative effort to make the Sun- shine State a sanctuary for illegals. Tennessee legislators overwhelm-
ingly approved creation of a new state office of enforcement. They estab- lished separate driver’s licenses for noncitizens and declared that any public official voting in favor of sanc-
tuary policies would be guilty of a Class E felony punishable by a $3,000 fine and up to six years in jail. New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte
told state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with all federal immigra- tion orders. Legislators passed a bill there banning any adoption of sanc- tuary city policies. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has direct-
ed state and local police to “fully cooperate and assist” with the presi- dent’s strong deportation agenda. Iowa’s state legislators recently made it a crime for any noncitizen to reen- ter the Hawkeye State once they have been deported. So why the surge in state initia-
tives to help the Trump administra- tion track down and deport undocu- mented residents? In many respects, analysts say
states and cities bear the greatest burden from unbridled immigration. They’re forced to pick up the tab to house, feed, clothe, and educate migrant children and their families. And unlike the federal govern-
ment, the states are unable to lever- age massive deficits to pay for it.
‘I’m Illegal — and You’re Under Arrest’ S
WHO’S HELPING ICE? The following states have signed agreements with the Trump administration, directing state personnel to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain suspected illegals for possible deportation:
Florida Georgia Iowa
Kansas
Mississippi Missouri Montana
New Hampshire Oklahoma
South Carolina Tennessee* Texas
Virginia West Virginia
SOURCES:
TheMarkUp.org, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),
CNN.com
*Some cities and counties have also agreed to assist ICE enforcement efforts, without a state-level agreement. **State agencies in Alaska, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Utah signed agreements prior to Trump’s second presidency.
Jessica M. Vaughan, director of
policy studies for the Center for Immi- gration Studies think tank, cites the “enormous frustration” of state leaders who have been forced to spend tens of billions to care for migrants who entered the United States illegally. “This is what happens when states
become frustrated with the insuffi- ciency of immigration enforcement,” says Vaughan. “They start looking for what they can do using their own authority, often using tools that Con- gress has provided.” One such tool is the REAL ID Act,
ome states continue to roll out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants — even for them to become police oficers. In April, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law a bill that
would allow illegals to become cops. New Mexico Senate Bill 364 invites all aliens authorized to work in the United
States to serve as police oficers, even if their legal status has not been verified. But the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) website states peace
oficers without legal status face at least one obvious hurdle: Under federal law, illegal aliens are barred from possessing firearms. “Illegal aliens cannot in good faith take this oath of ofice,” states FAIR, “because
they live in the United States in violation of the law.” Several other states, including California, Colorado, Vermont, and Illinois, also allow properly permitted noncitizens to work in a law enforcement capacity. — J.E.
16 NEWSMAX | JUNE 2025
the oft-postponed, post-9/11 measure requiring higher security standards for driver’s licenses which finally went into effect last month. Individuals without a REAL ID
license or passport cannot board a domestic flight or enter a federal building. Yet another new enforcement mechanism Congress has provided: the recently passed Laken Riley Act. That measure allows states to sue
the federal government whenever they feel immigration laws aren’t being enforced — a serious obstacle future Democrat presidents will likely have to contend with.
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