Immigration reform advances in senate

An attack on illegal immigration has been moved toward passage by the state senate. Wentzville Senator Scott Rupp says it’s a common-sense approach.

One part of Rupp’s bill goes after employers who hire them and increases requirements for officials and companies to check on their status. Another part forbids cities from declaring themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. However the bill does not forbid cities or city officers from having unofficial policies of looking the other way.

Rupp says his committee "went round-and-round" on whether to allow illegal immigrants to go to state colleges or universities. He says his bill is a compromise that does not penalize people who are here illegally through no fault of their own. Although he says the state does not want to promote the idea that unregistered aliens should bring their children to Missouri to gain access to public education, it does think students who are here through no fault of their own and who have attended at least three consecutive semesters of a Missouri high school should be able to attend a state college or university. However they would not receive in-state tuition rates.