Missouri AG Now Siccing ICE on Gerrymander Referendum Signature Gatherers
In a stunning escalation over the Missouri GOP’s gerrymander, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway (R) publicly announced she has referred the state’s grassroots referendum campaign to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), claiming without evidence that canvassers are “employing illegal aliens” to collect signatures to overturn the mid-decade redraw.
“Out-of-state signature collectors are reportedly employing illegal aliens in their efforts to undermine the will of the people’s elected representatives. We’ve launched an investigation into Advanced Micro Targeting,” Hanaway posted on X Thursday evening. “If anyone is creating an environment for exploitation and human trafficking to thrive, we will hold them accountable. We have referred this matter to ICE.”
Hanaway offered no evidence to support any of the allegations in her post, and did not immediately respond to Democracy Docket’s request for comment. Her office has not released documents or reports substanting her claim that the canvassing firm — Advanced Micro Targeting, which is legally contracted to gather signatures for the People Not Politicians (PNP) referendum — employs undocumented workers.
Hanaway’s posts echo key talking points from national Republican operatives attempting to derail direct democracy by casting ordinary petition circulators as nefarious outsiders. But her decision to add federal immigration enforcement — and the language of “human trafficking” — marks a dramatic and potentially dangerous turn.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/missouri-gop-now-siccing-ice-on-gerrymander-referendum-signature-gatherers/
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