Mississippi's Proposed Law Raises Concerns Over Immigrant Registry

WHO:

CNN - Republican state Sen. Angela Hill sponsored the measure.

CNN - Efrén Olivares is the vice president of litigation and legal strategy at the National Immigration Law Center.

CNN - Jessica Vaughan is the director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.

CNN - Victoria Francis is the deputy director of state and local initiatives for the American Immigration Council.

CNN - Lydia Grizzell is the policy and advocacy manager for the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi.

WHAT:

CNN - A new Mississippi law will authorize the state’s top law enforcement agency to compile a list of all immigrants illegally living in the state.

CNN - The law allows the Department of Public Safety to collect names, addresses, country of origin, age status, and criminal history of “illegal aliens” in Mississippi.

CNN - The law prescribes an ongoing effort to track immigrants illegally in the state for the next two years.

CNN - Mississippi has fewer than 28,000 immigrants illegally residing in the state, amounting to less than 1% of its population.

WHERE:

CNN - The law pertains to immigrants illegally living in Mississippi.

WHEN:

CNN - The law is set to take effect on Wednesday.

WHY:

CNN - Sen. Angela Hill stated that states have a right and obligation to assist the U.S. government in discouraging illegal immigration, which she claims facilitates crimes such as human and drug trafficking.

CNN - Advocates fear the law could become a tactic to target immigrants in conjunction with Trump’s plan to deport millions of people lacking legal approval to live in the U.S.

CNN - Victoria Francis expressed concern that the law could redirect law enforcement resources away from protecting the public to investigating immigrants.

HOW:

CNN - The law allows the Department of Public Safety to use “all reasonable lawful investigative means available” to determine the number and identities of “illegal aliens” in Mississippi.

CNN - The law directs the department to share information on suspected law violators with state and local authorities.

(UPDATED June 28, 2026 15:18 UTC)

A new law in Mississippi will empower the state’s Department of Public Safety to compile a list of all immigrants illegally residing in the state, collecting details such as names, addresses, and criminal histories. Sponsored by Republican state Senator Angela Hill, the law is set to take effect on Wednesday and will focus on tracking these individuals over the next two years, despite concerns from advocates about potential misuse and the impact on public safety. With fewer than 28,000 undocumented immigrants in Mississippi, which is less than 1% of the population, critics worry this initiative could shift law enforcement priorities away from community protection.