Missouri AG working to crack down on businesses hiring illegal immigrants

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is moving to crack down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants, vowing to "fill the vacuum created by the federal government’s ineptitude" when it comes to illegal immigration.

Bailey's office recently began investigating a complaint that a state business was employing illegal immigrants. The AG's office has given the business 15 days to provide appropriate proof of citizenship and eligibility to work for all of their employees.

"In the State of Missouri, we respect and honor our businesses. They are the engines of economic growth that drive the establishment of successful communities. We honor, too, the dedicated employees who produce prosperity with their hard work, skill, and devotion," Bailey's office wrote in a letter to the business that was shared with Fox News Digital.

"At the same time, the State of Missouri has a responsibility to ensure that workers, employers, and businesses are complying with Missouri law," the letter continued. "Otherwise, the rule of law is undermined, and there is a potential for abuse, mistreatment, and unfairness. Upholding the rule of law is essential to ensuring that our business communities continue to thrive in this state."

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If the employer is found to have violated Missouri law regarding the employment of "unauthorized aliens," the business may be subject to the loss of its business license, permit, or exemptions, as well as other penalties, Bailey stated. 

Bailey said individual states have been left to "stand in the gap as the federal government refuses to act."

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Bailey continued, "Since 2021, more than eight million illegal immigrants have entered the United States. That is more than the population of Missouri. These numbers are not an accident. There is only one reason eight million people illegally cross a sovereign nation’s border: because they know they can get away with it. Since the Biden Administration’s inception, there has been an orchestrated lack of enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws."

Back in June, Missouri joined an 18-state coalition in filing suit against the Biden administration for its proposed new "Circumvention of Lawful Pathways," which allowed "vast numbers of aliens to enter the country and receive instant work authorization and quick access to public benefits."

"The situation at the southern border is out of control, all thanks to Joe Biden," Bailey previously said. "He refuses to carry out his constitutionally mandated responsibilities, so we’re taking him to court to force him to do his job."

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Bailey added that under the law, the States would be forced to bear the cost of illegal immigrants in the country.

"In the midst of the worst border crisis in our nation’s history, the Defendants are attempting to implement a final rule that will further degrade our nation’s border security and make it even easier to illegally immigrate into the United States," Bailey previously stated. 

Similarly, last week, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird slammed the Biden administration and argued every state is a border state as the Biden administration has failed to secure the country's southern border.

Bird told "FOX & Friends" that Iowa will defend immigration laws despite the Department of Justice threatening to sue the state.