This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 4, 2010 - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster touched a bit of buzz earlier today when his staff announced that Koster, a Democrat, "is leading a group of 13 states that filed an amici curiae (friends of the court) brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Arizona's immigration law."
No, not THAT law -- signed into law earlier this year -- which calls for Arizona's law enforcement officers to question anybody suspected of being an illegal immigrant and gives them broad powers to detain such people. All legal immigrants must carry their papers with them at all times and can be prosecuted for failing to do so.
Koster's staff soon fired off a clarification from press secretary Nanci Gonder, in which she explained that Koster and his 12 counterparts were defending a different Arizona immigration law, now before the U.S. Supreme Court, that deals with the employment of "unauthorized aliens."
"It is not the same law passed by Arizona that has been in the news recently," Gonder wrote, adding, "I apologize for any confusion."
The Arizona law backed by Koster was passed in 2007 and closely resembles an existing Missouri law. The law allows sanctions against businesses that hire illegal immigrants. Koster and his cohorts argue in their brief that striking down Arizona's 2007 law would affect a number of states' abilities -- including that of Missouri -- to punish employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
"States all over the country are experiencing an increase in the number of illegals looking for work or sanctuary," Koster said. "One of the ways Missouri and other states have addressed the problem is to enact laws prohibiting employers from hiring illegal aliens. These laws are important to protecting our citizens, and they serve as a complement to existing federal laws."
Koster called Missouri "a leader in passing tough immigration laws. Under Missouri law, businesses that employ illegal aliens are subject to suspension of their licenses or permits; municipalities are prohibited from adopting policies giving sanctuary to illegals; illegal immigrants are prohibited from getting a Missouri driver's license, nor will a driver's license from another state be valid in Missouri; and law enforcement must verify the legal immigration status of anyone they arrest."
The other states that side with Missouri regarding the 2007 Arizona law are: Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia.
