MICE Act bill drops to address illegal immigrant criminals in Mississippi
Photo: DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton speaks at a news conference introducing the MICE Act bill introduced by state Sen. Michael McLendon. Barton and McLendon are flanked by DA Office Criminal Investigators Bradley Newsom and Mundy Quinn. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Feb. 24, 2025- There are those people who may believe the problem of illegal immigrants who flowed over the Southern border and then commit crimes during the Biden-Harris administration can be likened to mice invading a vacant building.
In that case they would feel it appropriate a bill introduced Monday by state Sen. Michael McLendon (R-Hernando) to senators in Jackson is called the MICE Act, an acronym for Mississippi Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement Act. A similar bill was to be introduced by state Rep. Justin Keen (R-Byhalia) in the House of Representatives.
McLendon and DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton announced the measure’s introduction during a news conference in Hernando Monday morning. It would appropriate $500,000 to create an Immigration Enforcement Division under a separate enforcement director within the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
The division would provide incentives for local law enforcement to coordinate efforts with federal immigration authorities in locating criminals who are illegally in the United States, then to address their deportation or incarceration in federal prison.
At the same time, a huge financial burden would be lifted off Mississippi taxpayers, as McLendon estimates it costs $8 million annually to house illegal immigrant criminals at the state level.
Barton said it has cost DeSoto County taxpayers thousands of dollars to house illegal immigrant criminals in the county jail and quoted a State Auditor’s report that said it has cost Mississippi taxpayers about $100 million a year due to illegal immigration.
“If we’re talking about DeSoto County specifically, we spent over $100,000 housing illegal immigrants in the county jail,” said Barton. “That’s a good chunk of change for anywhere, I do believe.”
McLendon added his statement of $8 million reflects criminals convicted who were illegals and sent to Mississippi Department of Corrections facilities only.
“People who have done serious jail time, they need to be in federal penitentiary, not Parchman (Prison), where we’re overcrowded,” McLendon said.
The Hernando senator believes he has strong support in both Houses of the state Legislature for the bill and that Gov. Tate Reeves would sign the bill if it reached his desk. The governor has been in lockstep with President Donald Trump about the issue of illegal immigrants in the United States.
“He (Reeves) and I have been in communication from last night to this morning,” McLendon said. “Nobody is on page with President Donald Trump any more than Gov. Tate Reeves and I think he’s a fire believer in this bill.”
The bill incorporates what is called the 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to participate in immigration enforcement. Participating officers have limited authority to arrest illegal immigrants. The bill aims to act as a force multiplier by involving state and local authorities in immigration enforcement. The bill does not mandate participation in the 287(g) program but provides incentives for departments to join.
Barton said over 1,000 illegal immigrants have been detained in the DeSoto County jail since 2025.
McLendon’s bill was being dropped Monday, so it had yet to be assigned a specific bill number or the appropriate committee assignment for further consideration.
An earlier attempt involving Barton, illegal immigration and the state Legislature failed earlier this month when a bill Barton supported and introduced by Keen died in a House committee. It would have created the Mississippi Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program.
