Georgia's governor on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that would require prison guards across the state to check the immigration status of their inmates and cooperate with federal immigration authorities rather than providing shelter to people who are in the United States illegally.
Governor Brian Kemp signed the bill at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, making most of the provisions effective immediately.
Kemp also signed a separate bill that requires cash bail for another 30 crimes and prohibits individuals and nonprofit bail funds from posting cash bail for more than three people per year unless they meet the requirements to be recognized as a bail bond company, according to The Associated Press. The bail law takes effect July 1.
The Republican governor said immigration law “became one of our top priorities after Laken Riley was senselessly killed at the hands of someone who was in this country illegally and was arrested after crossing the border.”
GEORGIA: IMMIGRATION BILL THAT WOULD REQUIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO COOPERATE WITH FEDERAL OFFICIALS GOES TO GOVERNOR KEMP
University of Georgia murder suspect Jose Ibarra lived just a five-minute walk from the approximate crime scene where he is alleged to have murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley on February 22. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital/Laken Riley/Jose Ibarra)
Jose Ibarra was arrested in February on murder and assault charges in connection with the killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia.
Ibarra, 26, entered the United States illegally in 2022, immigration officials said. It is not clear whether the suspect has applied for asylum or not.
“If you enter our country illegally and commit further crimes in our communities, we will not allow your crimes to go unpunished,” Kemp said.
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Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp speaks at an event hosted by radio host Erick Erickson in Atlanta, Georgia, August 18, 2023. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
As the bill passed the state legislature, Democrats expressed concern that it would turn law enforcement into immigration police, which would reduce communities' willingness to cooperate with police and report crimes.
Opponents also pointed to studies showing that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans.
The law provides that local governments will be deprived of state funding if they fail to cooperate.
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Governor Brian Kemp signed a law requiring prison guards across the state to check the immigration status of inmates and cooperate with federal immigration authorities rather than harboring people who are in the United States illegally. (iStock)
Prisons must also apply for an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to allow local prison guards to help enforce immigration laws. While local prison guards can help enforce, they are not allowed to make immigration-specific arrests outside of prisons.
As for the changes to bail, the Republican-backed bill would require criminals to be held on bail to keep them incarcerated.
The bill also overturns former Republican Governor Nathan Deal's 2018 effort to allow judges to release most people charged with misdemeanors without bail.
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Proponents said judges would still have the discretion to set exceptionally low bail, and a separate part of the 2018 reform requiring judges to consider a person's ability to pay would remain law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
