Gov. Jeff Landry wants state to limit tax dollar, track crime tied to illegal immigration
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order on Tuesday, Jan. 16 addressing illegal immigration in the state of Louisiana. The order requires state agencies to track data and look for ways to reduce taxpayer dollars going to undocumented immigrants. It also requires crime tracking to list whether the person arrested is a U.S. resident and any immigration status information.
“The cost of illegal immigration in this state is falling on the shoulders of hard-working Louisianans. This Executive Order will analyze data to determine the financial burden our citizens are being forced to carry because of those who do not follow the law,” said Landry. “Louisiana will always welcome those who legally immigrate, but taxpayers cannot continue to foot the bill for individuals who break the law and skip the line.”
In the seven-page document, he outlines what he calls failures of President Joe Biden's administration to stem what Landry calls "the largest wave of illegal immigration in the nation's history."
According to Landry, the estimated costs of the "border crisis" total about $451 billion a year in taxpayer dollars. He said there are an estimated 16.8 million to 29 million people living in the U.S. without appropriate permission and about 97,000 in Louisiana.
Landry outlined six ways he wants the state to address the issue and set definitions of how "illegal immigrant" and "unaccompanied alien child" are to be applied.
Agency and department heads are ordered to consider the effects on their organization and develop "policies, procedures, practices and methods" to get and analyze information about how public services are provided to that group, directly or indirectly.
Within 60 days, all the agency and department heads are to have reviewed all existing policy to be sure it complies.
Within 120 days, they must submit a written report to Landry outlining their findings and recommendations to collect and analyze the data requested.
Within 90 days, the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the Louisiana State Police superintendent are to work with the Bureau of Criminal Identification, sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies to create a monthly report for the governor on the number of non-legal residents and compare it with the total number of people charged and convicted of crimes.
Within 180 days of the order, a method should be developed to regularly publish that information on one or more websites.
Landry also ordered all state branches and agencies to respond to the Louisiana attorney general if the office makes any requests for information about undocumented migrants.