The Georgia House passed a bill Thursday that would make it possible to arrest immigrants on the suspicion that they are residing in the state illegally.
Additionally, HB 1105 would allow local authorities to detain immigrants for deportation should they find they are not legal residents. Should any officer, jailer, or sheriff not report when a detainee does not have proper legal documentation, they could “be subject to the withholding of state funding or state administered federal funding” per the bill. The legislation was drafted by six Republicans and passed 97-74. Only one Democratic member voted for the measure.
The bill’s passage comes a week after the murder of University of Georgia student Laken Riley, whose body was discovered on campus on Feb. 22. José Ibarra was an illegal immigrant living near campus and has been arrested in connection to her death. He faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another. He was notably arrested in the United States prior to the alleged crime, and authorities knew he was an illegal immigrant but released him back into the country rather than deport him.
State Rep. Jesse Petrea, the Republican who sponsored the legislation, said it had been in the works for a year but garnered more support following the murder.
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Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment regarding the bill. He has been outspoken about the need for change in light of the murder.
Athens, Georgia, where Riley was killed, has been a sanctuary city since 2019, when the government passed a resolution declaring all immigrants welcome regardless of if they were legal. However, even Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz cast some doubt on the term’s meaning in light of Riley’s murder.
