Immigrants are part of Mississippi’s strength

By Kathy Sykes

MIRA Executive Director

As Executive Director of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, I defend immigrant families and the future of Mississippi.

Immigrants are not strangers – they are our coworkers, church members, neighbors, farm workers, small business owners, and parents of Mississippi children. They help feed our state, build our homes, process our poultry, care for our elderly, and grow our economy.

In Mississippi, immigrants contribute hundreds of millions of dollars each year in labor, local spending, and taxes. Immigrant households pay of $100 million annually in state and local taxes. They power key industries like agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and food processing – industries Mississippi depends on.

Yet, harmful bills are being proposed that would criminalize people simply for not having immigration papers.

Let’s be clear:

Undocumented status is a civil matter – not a crime. These bills do not make Mississippi safer. They create fear, break up families, hurt workers, and damage our economy.

Criminalizing immigrants will:

• Push families into hiding

• Make communities less safe

• Cost taxpayers millions

• Hurt Mississippi businesses that rely on immigrant labor

• Tear parents away from U. S. citizen children

Mississippi already knows the harm caused by laws rooted in fear and discrimination. Our history teaches us that justice, dignity, and fairness make our state stronger – not division.

Immigrants bring faith, work ethic, family values, culture, and resilience. They are not a threat to Mississippi; they are part of Mississippi’s strength.

We call on lawmakers to reject bills that criminalize immigrant families and instead support policies that:

• Keep families together

• Protect workers from exploitation

• Strengthen legal pathways to citizenship

• Promote community trust, not fear

To immigrant families across Mississippi, please know:

You belong here. You matter. Your work matters. Your future matters.

And to our leaders:

Do not build policy on fear. Build Mississippi on fairness, faith, and opportunity.