A new Mississippi law set to take effect will allow the state’s top law enforcement agency to compile a list of all illegal immigrants living in the state. The law, which will go into effect this week, states that the state Department of Public Safety “may use all reasonable lawful investigative means available” to determine the number of illegal immigrants residing in Mississippi and their identities.

Law Enforcement and Immigration

The department may also list any criminal history and the date, location and status of deportation proceedings. The agency is instructed to share information on immigrants suspected of violating laws with state and local authorities.

State Sen. Angela Hill, a Republican who sponsored the bill, argued that states have a right and obligation to assist the federal government in stopping illegal immigration, which she claims contributes to crimes such as human and drug trafficking.

Immigrant Advocates’ Concerns

Immigrant advocates warn that the law could complicate things in Mississippi as people overstay visas, apply for new forms of legal status and move into and out of the state. “You can be undocumented today, and then have status tomorrow, and then lose it again next month, and then regain it three months from now,” Efrén Olivares, vice president of litigation and legal strategy at the National Immigration Law Center, told The Associated Press.

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a nonprofit think tank that supports immigration restrictions, said state officials must come up with “a credible and fairly foolproof way of correctly determining someone’s immigration status.” However, Vaughan argued the law “makes a lot of sense,” saying that it “raises the likelihood that someone’s illegal presence is going to come to the attention of federal authorities.”

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.