On Thursday, Georgia Senators approved the passage of an immigration bill which guarantees to commence timely deportation of undocumented immigrants to prevent criminal infiltration.
The Georgia General Assembly is a bicameral body vested with legislative powers. On Thursday, the House Senate approved the passage of the House bill HB301 directed to sabotage the practice of harboring illegal immigrants and offering them sheltering services without authority permit. The state counties or cities found guilty will face financial penalties.
The Senate also voted 34-19 to pass the HB-1105 bill to cease criminal infiltration and promote public safety by fortifying state borders and deploying robust measures to counter illegal immigration.
Nursing student killing : Force behind the passage of Bill
President Joe Biden addressing the Congress in his State of the Union speech on March 7th, recalled the circumstantial loss of a young Nursing student in Georgia University who was killed by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, deepening immigration concerns in the state.
On February 22nd, a young Nursing student of Augusta University, Laken Riley, was found dead at the campus of Georgia University where she had gone for jogging. The police authorities apprehended a Venezuela man only to find his residency unauthorized and undocumented. This event spiraled a flock of immigrational concerns among the Georgian community; reprimanding the administration for its lack of public safety initiatives.
Bills’ provisions
The HB-1105 and HB-301 bills were first proposed in the House of Representatives by a Republican lawmaker – Jesse Petrea; proclaiming the urgency of the matter.
The bill strengthens the federal law enforcement agencies to commute daily reports to the U.S Immigration and Custom Enforcement, if any illegal immigrant was arrested for misdemeanor. This step would encourage the officials in charge to verify the immigration status of convicts or offenders found to be in the U.S without legal authorization.
The lawmakers incorporated stringent monetary penalties to foster unhindered execution of the bill. If the law enforcement agencies or local police authorities fail to comply with the Immigration and Custom Enforcement(ICE) body to report the apprehension of an illegal immigrant, their state and federal funding will be suspended. It will also authorize the state to prosecute federal agencies against civil lawsuits for their failure to implement immigration laws.
Opposing the bill were Democrats who accused the Republicans for weaponizing a young girl’s death for their narcissistic political motives. Some calling this bill as a war against immigrants which could produce a wave of unintended consequences.
Despite the contention, the Georgia Alien Criminal Track and Report Act, 2024 was passed in the house with a seamless majority of 99-75 votes.
The approved bill was later passed with few modification calls in the House of Senate with equal acceptance and opposition rate. Senator John Albers backed the bill with irrefutable confidence. He contemplated on the bill suggesting scrutiny against “Alien criminals” without disparaging immigrants.
Contesting the bill was Senator Nabilah Islam Parks who called out the bill as a war against immigrants. Identifying herself as an immigrant, she sought empathy for countless immigrants who will be rendered for what will be a “collateral damage” to their community.
The amended bill on Thursday was passed in the house before it could be delivered for its final assent to the Republican Governor of the state of Georgia – Brian P. Kemp.
