Watch out for Senate Bill 3124 JACKSON — Senate Bill 3124, appropriating money to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 2009, was sent to conference committee on April 1.
Included in SB 3124 is an amendment stipulating the DPS implement Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act by Sept. 1 before receiving funding for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Section 287(g) authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform federal immigration law enforcement functions, pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), provided the local law enforcement officers receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Catholic Charities Parish Social Ministry opposes the amendment and hopes the entire section of SB 3124 dealing with Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act will be struck, according to Benjamin Russell, associate director of Parish Social Ministry for Catholic Charities.
Enforcement of Section 287(g) opens the door for discrimination against persons based on color of skin and suspicions of immigration status, Russell said. A persons’ color of skin may determine whether he or she is pulled over and questioned, without probable cause, he said. This will only promote racial profiling and further feed Mississippi’s anti-immigrant hysteria, Russell commented.
“Please contact members of the conference and demand that Section 4 of SB 3124 be struck!” Russell said.
Members of the conference committee on SB 3124 include: Sen. Alan Nunnelee, District 6; Sen. Perry Lee, District 35; Sen. Lydia Graves Chassaniol, District 14; Rep. Johnny Stringer, District 87; Rep. George Flaggs Jr., District 55; and Rep. Joseph Warren, District 90.
