A bill that would involve local jail guards to examine the immigration status of individuals and collaborate with national immigration officials may receive final approval on Thursday in Georgia’s government, which would prevent local jail guards from putting people who are in the country illegally.
House Bill 1105, which had Republican support, was approved by the House, which passed by a vote of 99-75 to allow the governor to sign it. The state Senate previously approved it.
Local law enforcement organizations would run the risk of losing state funding if they did n’t cooperate with immigration officials, according to the legislation. Misdemeanor charges may also be brought against local officials.
GEORGIA CAPITOL COVERAGE:
The measure gained traction after police accused a Venezuelan man of , beating a nursing student , to death on the University of Georgia campus.
Jose Ibarra was detained last month on suspicion of murder and assault in the death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old man. Ibarra, 26, was deported to the United States in 2022, according to immigration authorities. He has applied for asylum, but it’s not clear whether that is the case.
Democrats expressed concern that it would turn neighborhood law enforcement into immigration police, causing neighborhoods to be less eager to cooperate with them when reporting crimes. Additionally, they cited studies that showed that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than Americans who were born here.
House Republican Jesse Petrea asserted on Thursday that the bill only requires law enforcement to collaborate with immigration officials when they are in the country illegally and have committed crimes.
” I do n’t believe anyone in law enforcement believes that’s too much to ask”, he said.
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