On Tuesday, State Representatives Cam Cavitt and Gina Johnsen announced the reintroduction of their plan to criminalize human smuggling in Michigan.
Under current law, there is no state-level criminal penalty for human smuggling, only human trafficking.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, human smuggling is transportation-based, while trafficking is exploitation-based. The lawmakers introduced a similar plan last year, but it was disregarded by Democratic leadership.
“Last year, Democrats ignored our efforts to criminalize these heinous acts in Michigan,” said Cavitt, R-Cheboygan. “It was frustrating considering we’d spent nearly four years watching the weakness of the Biden Administration as countless illegal aliens flooded over our borders and threatened our communities. The reforms undertaken by President Trump have been a blessing for our country as border encounters are down significantly. Our human smuggling criminalization plan will support those efforts and ensure local law enforcement in Michigan can continue this important work at the state level.”
House Bills 4336 and 4337 would adopt federal human smuggling laws at the state level, allowing state officials to support federal efforts to prosecute smugglers.
As a border state, Michigan is responsible for more than 700 miles of the nation’s northern border. Only Texas and Alaska are responsible for a larger segment of the international border. Recent reporting highlights how widespread illegal immigration, human trafficking, and human smuggling are not limited to the U.S.-Mexico Border. In fact, the situation in Michigan’s border areas can be even more strenuous, with border patrol agents dealing with grueling conditions and limited resources.
“When you think ‘border state,’ Michigan is far from the first place that comes to mind,” said Johnsen, R-Portland. “But that unknowing ignorance puts our communities at an even greater risk. People don’t realize that criminals and violent gang members will try anything to get into our country and threaten our residents — up to and including sailing in makeshift boats across Lake Huron. Our plan would allow our local law enforcement to crack down on these blatant criminal acts and provide our communities with an extra layer of protection. The federal government is doing what it can to end this crisis. It’s time for the state to also do its part.”
Just two years ago, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Detroit Sector arrested five people during a failed smuggling attempt across the St. Clair River. A video monitoring system alerted agents of a boat traveling on the river near a known smuggling route.
After their arrest, the individuals admitted to having just crossed the border from Canada. Agents identified two subjects from India and the remainder from Nigeria, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
