January 1, Senator Proposes State Penalties for Military Deployments

Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee has a new idea that says states must pay back the government if the U.S. military helps due to a state not following immigration rules.

Senator Blackburn made this new rule because there was a lot of trouble in California last month. There were riots because of actions taken by ICE, the agency that handles immigration enforcement. President Trump had to send the National Guard and Marines to keep things calm and protect important places in Los Angeles.

Senator Blackburn said that when states like California don’t follow the rules about immigration, hardworking American people in other states end up paying for it. She thinks this is not fair. If a state doesn’t do its job and the federal government has to step in to fix things, then that state should pay for everything the military had to do.

Her bill is called the “State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act.” It’s about sending a strong message that it’s not okay to ignore federal immigration law.

There’s also a similar bill in the House of Representatives thanks to Republican Rep. Jody Arrington from Texas. He’s also the chair of the House Budget Committee. Rep. Arrington added that when states make policies that make it hard for immigration officers to do their job, it can make communities less safe and use up resources. He says this is breaking the rules, and it’s not okay for places like Texas and Tennessee to pay for what California does wrong.

The bill explains that when states don’t work with federal immigration officers, it can cause big problems, like creating a mess that the military has to clean up.

If such situations happen, the bill says that the states causing the problem have to pay back money spent on the troops sent there. This is only after authorities have decided that the state’s actions led to the trouble.

And if a state doesn’t pay back the money within 180 days after being asked by the Department of Defense, then the president can stop giving them certain kinds of money from the government.

Recently, sending 4,000 soldiers from the National Guard and 700 Marines to Los Angeles cost the government $130 million. They stayed there for more than a month, and now some of the troops are coming back home.

Wyatt Matters!

Sometimes, states make choices that don’t follow the rules about immigration, and that can cause problems. If the U.S. military has to step in to help, all taxpayers end up paying for it. Some people think that isn’t fair. When states cause these problems, they should pay back the money spent on the military helpers. Senator Marsha Blackburn thinks this will make states take the rules more seriously.

When states don’t work with the federal government on immigration, it can make it tough for those trying to keep our communities safe. Imagine if doing your job meant always cleaning up someone else’s mess. That’s how many people feel when states go their own way and ignore rules. They end up creating more work for immigration officers, and sometimes, the military has to help out too. This bill says, “Hey, if you make a mess, you should help clean it up!”

If a state needs military help because it didn’t follow the rules, it should pay the costs back. This idea makes states think twice before skipping important rules. Maybe it seems tough, but it sends a message: We all have to follow the same rules if we are going to keep everyone safe and be fair with money. It’s like in class when someone doesn’t listen, and everyone has to stay in from recess. That’s not fun, so it’s better when everyone follows the rules from the start.

As our loyal readers, we encourage you to share your thoughts and opinions on this issue. Let your voice be heard and join the discussion below.

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