INDIANAPOLIS, In. (WOWO): Indiana State Representative J.D. Prescott joined WOWO’s Kayla Blakeslee on Fort Wayne’s Morning News to discuss H.B. 1531 which was his bill to strengthen Indiana’s immigration enforcement capabilities.

The Bill had widespread support from not only Republicans in the Indiana House, but also Attorney General Todd Rokita as well as Indiana U.S. Representative Marlin Stutzman and Indiana U.S. Senator Jim Banks.

Prescott, who authored the bill says that some of the high points included:

• Enabling and empowering local law enforcement to support immigration control and enforcement by requiring all law enforcement agencies to honor ICE detainers and turn over any illegal aliens in custody,
• Removing the Mens Rea standard when it comes to sanctuary cities and the state’s banning of them. This would have made it faster and more clear for the Attorney General when it comes to enforcement.
• More stringent reporting standards when it comes to those parolees brought into the country, especially with regard to who is taking responsibility for them.
• Making it a State Crime to violate Federal Immigration Law – cracking down on all businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens. Those businesses would face sanctions starting with a warning and going all the way to suspension and revocation of their business license – something Federal Law cannot do.

The Bill was crafted in collaboration with the Attorney General and Law Enforcement Officers state wide according to Prescott who said that “House Bill 1531 would certainly have strengthened immigration enforcement statewide”.

State Senator Liz Brown who would not give the Bill a hearing when it reached her Senate Judiciary Committee said on Fort Wayne’s Morning News that the Bill would have made all Indiana Law Enforcement an “arm of ICE”. Representative Prescott directly refuted that saying in fact it would “not have made Law Enforcement and arm of ICE – but would have given Law Enforcement what they need – more tools for Immigration Enforcement.”

Prescott underscored that by saying that he had worked and collaborated with all levels of Law Enforcement and had even made changes to the original bill in areas where they expressed concern.

Prescott says that he’s already working on the next version of the Bill which is expected to be introduced in the Indiana House shortly.