JEFFERSON CITY — Ten state troopers completed special immigration training, allowing them to start enforcing federal immigration laws in Missouri.
Six will be used to speed up processing after traffic stops. The other four officers will be assigned to casinos. U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement trained the troopers.
After a gubernatorial order last year, the Highway Patrol, Water Patrol and Capitol Police began checking the immigration status of those they arrest. Missouri police can use a federal database to check immigration status but depend on federal immigration authorities to start the deportation process.
Now, the trained troopers can be contacted to take custody of an illegal immigrant and start paperwork to begin deportation procedures.