Georgia bill proposes funding cuts for sanctuary cities
A bill introduced by Republicans in Georgia would cut funding for sanctuary cities in the state. Democrats who oppose the bill accuse the Republican Party of exploiting Laken Riley's murder.
ATLANTA – Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. state of Georgia joined activists and immigrant rights groups at the state Capitol on Thursday to voice their opposition to House Bill 1105.
The immigration legislation would require local law enforcement to assist federal officials in enforcing immigration laws and impose penalties on sheriffs and jailers who fail to contact federal officials to check a prisoner's immigration status.
“It is time to stop using minorities and immigrants as political pawns,” Democratic state Rep. Pedro Marin told reporters.
The group called bills like HB 1105 ineffective and believed the legislation would not make Georgia safer.
How Laken Riley's murder is linked to new immigration laws
They accused Republican lawmakers of exploiting Laken Riley's murder to justify what they considered harmful proposals.
Authorities say the man accused of killing the nursing student on the University of Georgia campus last month was in the country illegally.
SIMILAR ARTICLES
Laken Riley was killed by a man who authorities said was in the country illegally.
“We fear that this will reinforce stereotypes about the Latino community and the immigrant community,” said Kyle Gomez-Leineweber of the GALEO Impact Fund.
Republican Rep. Jesse Petrea sponsored the bill, saying the bill only addresses detained immigrants accused of a crime and who are in the country illegally.
“This bill specifically addresses people in jails. They don't want you to know that, but when you look at the bill, it addresses people incarcerated in jails in Georgia,” said Rep. Jesse Petrea. “The law already requires that these people be reported to ICE, but this bill makes sure that all sheriffs do that, because we've had many cases where they haven't.”
Republicans push for immigration reform
In the wake of Riley's killing, Republicans continue to push for stricter immigration laws. On Wednesday, Republican Senator Randy Robertson introduced a bill to strengthen enforcement of Georgia's sanctuary cities law.
“Those who immigrate here legally are welcome in our communities. We have to worry about those who break the law to get here,” State Senator Randy Robertson told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes.
If passed, local governments that pursue shelter-in-place policies would lose some of their state funding and lose their sovereign immunity.
“No funding related to health care, no funding related to emergencies or natural disasters, those fundings will be impacted, but some of the residual funding that many communities rely on from the state and even funds that the state administers from the federal government, those fundings could be impacted,” Robertson explained.
