In a recent step to strengthen the enforcement of immigration laws, the governor of Georgia Brian P. Kemp has instructed the Ministry of Public Security to expand their partnership with the US immigration and customs authority (ICE). As reported in the official press release, all 1,100 DPS civil servants receive training as part of the 287 (g) program of ICE, a step that corresponds to President Donald Trump's executive order to protect American citizens from an “invasion”.
“If you are illegally in our country and commit crimes, you have no place in Georgia,” said Governor Kemp. The governor hole the Trump administration for the recognition of the most important importance of the problem and then took measures to protect the public through the enforcement of strict border security and immigration laws. Under the direction of Colonel Billy Hitchens, the DPS submitted a memorandum of Arkleil (MOA) to participate in the 287 (G) on the Task Force Model (TFM), which significantly improves its cooperative skills with the federal immigration authorities.
Colonel Hitchens emphasized the importance of the Interagecy teamwork and the educational advantages of the program for the state and local law enforcement authorities. “This training and cooperation between agencies increases our ability to protect our communities,” said Hitchens, according to the press release. The 287 (G) program not only outsource the participating civil servants with immigration-specific knowledge, but also facilitates their operational cooperation in the identification and detention of those who endanger public security and violate US immigration policy. About 1,730 criminals on ice racks were removed from the streets of Georgia thanks to the hardworking work of the GDC and the law enforcement authorities.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety plays an important role in maintaining the nationwide right and the order by the units in the context of its banner: Georgia State Patrol, Capitol Police and Motor Carrier Compliance Division. With the implementation of the 287 (G) program, DPS officers are now rather clever in enforcing immigration in their regular tasks such as traffic stops, crash examinations and inspections of commercial vehicles. The agreement of 287 (G) comes from the law on illegal immigration reform and immigrant responsibility from 1996, which made it possible to delegate certain immigration tasks to state and local civil servants. The continuous commitment to this program illustrates the approach of Georgia to maintain the integrity of immigration laws and to improve public security in cooperation with federal partners.
