Local police are soon expected to be forced to examine the emigration status of people in their guardianship and report illegal suspects to national authorities, according to a bill passed by Georgia lawmakers on Thursday to further strengthen the state’s now stringent immigration laws.
The University of Georgia’s Laken Riley was killed at the University of Georgia in February, a terrible violence allegedly carried out at random by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, according to the new regulations.
The 22-year-old’s murder has had a significant impact on Georgia’s law, which was highlighted by the passage of the measure on Thursday in the parliamentary session’s last days. It’s even grabbed regional headlines, with conversation of Riley’s dying, along with President Joe Biden‘s misspelling of her name and use of the word “illegal” to explain her alleged killer, being probably the most talked- about portion of his State of the Union address.
Georgia’s fresh rules may be signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who has frequently attacked Biden’s border plans, before it becomes law. He has not indicated whether he will veto the costs.
Also if a suspect is only charged with criminal counts, law enforcement in Georgia would still be required to question each of its inmates about their immigration status. Authorities will be required to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers if those defendants claim to be undocumented or refuse to provide documents.
Departments will also be required to regularly transfer information about the number of arrests they have reported to national immigration authorities in accordance with the law. According to the bill, organizations that are found to be failing to adhere to the new standards may reduce state and federal funding.
Many Georgia sheriffs reportedly backed the bill, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, despite concerns that the new law would give more responsibilities to now sparsely staffed departments. The act passed the Georgia House 99- 75, mostly along party lines.
After Riley’s dying, Georgia Republicans have called for greater fines for migrants, claiming more extreme punishment could have saved Riley’s life. Because Jose Antonio Ibarra, the alleged killer, was detained by the Border Patrol for entering the country illegally in 2022 and was detained twice while serving there. His minute arrest came for allegedly stealing from a store in Georgia and allegedly attempting to steal money from his car in New York. Before he was ready for release, police would have had to notify ICE of comparable arrests in Georgia under the new law.
A act named after Riley, which may require that all immigrants stopped by Border Patrol be taken into custody, was approved by 37 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month. That bill is n’t expected to reach Biden’s desk, however, as Democrats maintain a Senate majority and critics have accused politicians of exploiting a tragedy. One of those critics is Riley’s uncle, who said earlier this month that he’s “angry” her death is being used socially.
In Georgia, the express bill’s sponsors claimed it was only” common sense” to use ICE in an arrest involving an unauthorized person.
” I think this really is a common- feeling determine”, Rep. Houston Gaines, a Republican whose area includes the University of Georgia, told The New York Times. ” What we’re talking about is people who are in the country fraudulently who have committed crimes, more criminal acts, and making sure those people are held responsible.”
