Columbus, Ohio — If the statehouse passes new legislation targeting those who enter the nation illegally, illegal immigrants in the Buckeye State will soon face jail time and fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars. This comes as concerns about the recent surge of Haitian migrants in Springfield are still being raised.
Next week, the America First Act is scheduled to be presented in the Ohio House of Representatives.
An early copy of the bill, which seeks to support federal immigration law at the state level, was exclusively seen by The Post. The text is being finalized by GOP state representatives Gary Click and Nick Santucci.
This act introduces new penalties, such as a $500 fine and a year in prison, which are doubled for repeat offenders.
The new legislation’s proponent, state representative Gary Click, is shown here at a hearing at the Ohio statehouse.
Getty Images via The Washington Post
In an email to fellow Republicans at the statehouse, Click stated, “The America First Act only addresses immigration that has already been determined to be unlawful on a federal level.” “This bill cannot and will not be a ‘fix all’ for all immigration-related problems. Although state-level policies cannot be all-inclusive, they can be complimentary.
According to Click, the goal of the bill is to “send a message” to those who are legally in the country and “value America enough to knock and come through the front door.”
He told The Post, “Ohio can do its part to support legal immigration by discouraging those whose very first act in America is to break the law and prioritizing those who follow the law.”
Immigration violators will be forced to leave Ohio within 72 hours of finishing their sentence, even though states do not have the authority to deport.
“In order to maintain community safety in Ohio, the America First Act is an essential policy. Numerous undocumented immigrants have crossed our borders due to the Biden-Harris immigration strategy, according to Santucci, who spoke with The Post. “This bill will guarantee that the only people who can remain, at least in Ohio, are those who respect our nation enough to enter lawfully.”
A spokesman for the House Democrats claimed they were not aware of the proposed legislation.
The idea was made only a few weeks after Springfield, Ohio, saw an influx of Haitian migrants that overwhelmed the town’s social services, turning Springfield into a microcosm of America’s immigration woes. Allegations that some immigrants were consuming the pets of locals caused the city to make national headlines.
However, it might be difficult to enact this legislation even in Ohio’s Republican-controlled statehouse.
And for that, we may thank time—the oldest opponent of a politician.
A Republican Columbus policy expert told The Post that lawmakers “won’t be back until after the election and their General Assembly will end at the end of this year.”
“I’m not sure if it would be, but that’s never stopped the Ohio General Assembly before,” he said in response to a question about whether the act would even be enforceable.
Ohio has strong feelings over immigration, therefore the GOP supermajority in the House may benefit from taking a tough stance on the matter.
Source : NY POST
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