Georgia governor signs immigration bill months after UGA slaying, worrying Latino advocates
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said the new immigration law he signed in response to the slaying of Laken Riley at UGA would improve public safety, but opponents said it would erode trust between immigrant and Latino communities and law enforcement.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said the new immigration law he signed Wednesday in response to the slaying of Laken Riley would improve public safety, but opponents said it would erode trust between immigrant and Latino communities and law enforcement.
Georgia HB1105 requires, among other things, sheriff’s offices to coordinate with federal officials on people in their custody who may be in the country unlawfully, or face losing funding if they don’t.
At the signing event, Kemp, a Republican, said the bill “became one of our top priorities following the senseless death of Laken Riley at the hands of someone in this country illegally who had already been arrested even after crossing the border,” The Associated Press reported.
"If you enter our country illegally and proceed to commit further crime in our communities, we will not allow your crimes to go unanswered," Kemp said.
But advocates said they've already seen attempts to use local officers to enforce immigration law backfire.
Rating: 5