BRANSON, Mo.—On Feb. 10, given just 24 hours’ notice, community organizations and individuals from across Southwest Missouri were alerted that Branson, Missouri, Aldermen were to vote on a bill that would effectively turn their own police force into ICE agents.
Bill No. 6644 is a contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that authorizes local law enforcement to perform the duties of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The local Police Chief Eric Schmitt led the Board of Aldermen meeting, advocating that local gang activity from Central and South American Countries had been terrorizing the city. Schmitt claimed that gang members of the Tren de Aragua and MS13 gangs were present, intimidating witnesses, and endangering police. He stated at the time the law “couldn’t prove they were gang members,” but he, in himself, knew they were, and therefore his local police needed to utilize the power of ICE agents to rid these people from the country.
The police chief cited Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which, as stated on the official ICE website, would allow Branson officers to “identify and remove” what they refer to as “criminal aliens” who are “amenable to removal from the United States.”
And while Schmitt claimed in the meeting that the officers wouldn’t go “down the street stopping people of a different race asking for papers,” it could be argued that his proposal seems to sidestep the democratic and constitutional rights of people in the United States, including the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” and the right to due process.
The lines outside the meeting included hundreds of constituents, of whom a large majority were in opposition to ICE. Some community members claimed foul play, noting that the supposedly public meeting allowed only a small trickle of people into the room until 30 minutes after it started.
Some from the crowd stood on top of tables and concrete barriers to chant “let us in” for a time as the lines to enter the meeting moved at a snail’s pace. Having finally been processed through the sluggish security line, community members packed the room and delivered nearly two hours’ worth of speeches against the contract with DHS. Each individual speaker got three minutes to speak, and all but one were in opposition.
The speakers cited atrocities of ICE all across the country, Latino community members pleaded for the safety of their families and community, businesspeople and concerned citizens cited the high importance of tourism to Branson’s economy, and spoke on how important people of color and immigrants have been to building Branson and keeping its city running. Others cited how ICE betrays the prominently claimed “Christian values” of Branson.
“We are a Christian town, and many of us want to believe that means more than tradition or image and that it means compassion, humility, and moral responsibility. I am here to oppose Bill 6644… The harm this bill causes will not stop with Latino families. When local police take on the immigration enforcement roles, fear spreads across the entire community, people hesitate to call for help, victims stay silent, neighbors lose trust in the very people meant to protect them, some may expect that this only hurts a small group, and clearly it doesn’t,” a speaker noted.
“I have been a member of the Branson community for 23 years, and I am here to speak in opposition to Bill 6644 on the proposed contract to join Branson law enforcement with ICE that you’re here to vote on today,” another speaker began. The speaker then turned to the crowd and stated, “I want to ask that if you’re here to oppose this bill, can you raise your hand?”
This request resulted in a majority of those in the room, over 100 people, raising their hands.
“I love this community, and Branson is a place built on hospitality, hard work, faith, and neighbors looking out for one another. That is exactly why this contract is so dangerous. Branson is not just a city; it is a tourism-driven community, and our economy depends on the hospitality workers, seasonal employees, small businesses, and millions of visitors each year. Once a contract with ICE is accepted, our independence is lost,” said a community member named April who lives in Branson.
After hours of constituents speaking against ICE, the Aldermen presented their talking points, seemingly ignoring the community’s concerns and instead citing Schmitt’s proposal as a way to fight crime.
“Public safety is what this board is supposed to be looking at for our residents,” said Alderman Ruth Denham of Ward III. “We love this city, and we’re going to do what we feel best to provide that for our community.”
Members of the crowd groaned and uttered in disbelief as the Aldermen referred to immigrants as “illegal criminals.” Instead of correcting their terminology, the members of the Aldermen Board shouted “QUIET!” at the crowd.
Some members of the community began shouting, “Clearly you won’t listen to us, so we won’t listen to you,” and many in the room walked out of the meeting.
After the over three-hour meeting, the Branson City Aldermen voted unanimously to enter into a contract with DHS to give their local police the power of ICE.
The decision comes at a time when demonstrations opposing ICE and the growing aggression of its agents are happening across the country.
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