Georgia and other Republican-led states develop plans that could aid Trump's mass deportation efforts – WABE

As President-elect Donald Trump assembles his administration, Republican governors and lawmakers in some states are already putting forward proposals that could help him make good on his promise to deport millions of people living in the U.S. illegally.

Lawmakers in a growing number of states are proposing to give local law enforcement officials the power to arrest people who have entered the country illegally. This reflects recent laws in Texas and elsewhere that have been put on hold while courts weigh whether they unconstitutionally usurp federal sovereignty.

Other legislation filed before next year's legislative session would require local law enforcement to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they take custody of someone who is in the country illegally, even if the charge is unrelated has to do with his immigration status. Although not explicitly requested by Trump, many of the state's proposals would complement his immigration policies.

“We would find people who are violating this law and we would sort of personally transport them to the nearest removal port so they can be removed in a safe and orderly manner,” said Missouri Sen. Curtis Trent, who is sponsoring one of the proposals.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates that there were 11 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. in 2022, according to the most recent statistics available. During the campaign, Trump spoke of creating the “largest mass deportation program in history” and called for the use of the National Guard and domestic police forces in the effort.

Some democratically-led states are already raising resistance. California lawmakers have called a special session to try to protect people from possible Trump policies, including by increasing legal aid for immigrants facing deportation.

Lawmakers in numerous states will likely try to thwart Trump's immigration agenda or cooperate with him, Tim Storey, CEO of the National Conference of State Legislatures, said Monday.

In Missouri, Trent's bill would authorize local law enforcement officers to arrest people for a new state crime of “unlawful entry of an alien,” punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a court-ordered trip to the U.S. border.

A separate bill from Missouri state Sen.-elect David Gregory would also create a state felony and offer a $1,000 reward for informants who tip police about people who are in the country illegally. It would allow private bounty hunters to find and capture them.

While some jurisdictions refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, “we are stepping up and finding a way to help,” Gregory said in a statement Tuesday.

Missouri's Republican Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe has not endorsed a specific legislative plan after battling illegal immigration and the scourge of fentanyl smuggled across the U.S. border. But he told The Associated Press: “If they're here illegally, that should definitely trigger more than it does now.”

Immigrant advocacy groups are already sounding the alarm about some state proposals. Missouri's proposed bounty system would “create absolute chaos and division,” said Ashley DeAzevedo, president of American Families United, which advocates for U.S. citizens married to foreigners.

Although many Americans support a path to citizenship for people living in the U.S. illegally, support for deportation has also increased. According to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters in this year's election, more than four in 10 voters said most immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally should be deported to the country from which they came. That's up from about 3 in 10 in 2020. According to AP VoteCast, more than half of voters said most immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally should be given the opportunity to apply for legal status . In 2020, about 7 in 10 said this, according to AP VoteCast.

Many Republicans point to Texas as a model for immigration enforcement. His $11 billion “Operation Lone Star” program erected razor wire and other barriers along the Mexican border, stationed state troops and Texas National Guard members in border towns, and bused thousands of migrants to Democratic-run “sanctuary cities” like New York, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and Washington. In addition, Texas law enforcement officials have made tens of thousands of arrests, including many for trespassing on private property.

Tom Homan, Trump's “border czar,” visited Texas last month and said his border security tactics could be a model for the Trump administration. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office confirmed it was in regular contact with Trump's team about strategy.

Following Texas' lead, Republican-led legislatures in Iowa, Louisiana and Oklahoma passed measures allowing law enforcement officials to arrest people who are in the U.S. illegally. Shortly after Trump's election, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that he was working on a plan to deport some of the more than 500 immigrants currently in Oklahoma prisons who are not legal citizens.

Last month, voters in Arizona also approved a ballot measure that would allow local police to arrest migrants suspected of entering illegally from Mexico. However, this measure will not take effect until a similar law in Texas or another state has been in effect for 60 consecutive days.

Other Republican state measures aim to strengthen cooperation between local law enforcement officials and federal immigration officials.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox recently announced an initiative to improve coordination with federal officials to identify undocumented immigrants in the state's criminal justice system and refer them for deportation. Cox said there will be “zero tolerance” for “those who pose a threat to public safety while in the country illegally.”

A law passed earlier this year in Georgia requires prison guards to check the immigration status of inmates and seek help enforcing federal immigration laws. The measure gained traction following the murder of University of Georgia student Laken Riley. A Venezuelan who entered the United States illegally was sentenced to life in prison for her murder.

The Republican-controlled North Carolina Legislature last month overrode a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and passed a law directing sheriffs to comply with federal immigration authorities' requests to detain detainees. This came after several Democratic county sheriffs refused to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Other Democratic governors dealing with Republican-led legislatures are pushing back against the possibility of sweeping deportation plans. Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said she supports deporting people living in the U.S. illegally, but she will not send the National Guard to help enforce federal immigration laws.

Wisconsin's Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who also faces a Republican-led legislative session, said undocumented immigrants are “a really important part of our economy” in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.

“Trying to take them out of the country is irrational,” Evers said. “So we will do everything we can to avoid that.”