Georgia bill aimed at requiring law enforcement to heed immigration requests heads to governor

House Republican leaders confer on Sine Die, the final day of Georgia's 2024 legislative session on Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Georgia’s legislature gave final approval Thursday to a bill that would require local jailers to check the immigration status of inmates and work with federal immigration officials instead of sheltering people who are in the country illegally.

The House voted 99-75 to accept changes to House Bill 1105, which was backed by Republicans and now goes to the governor for his signature. It previously passed the state Senate.

Under the measure, local law enforcement agencies would risk losing state funding for failing to work with immigration officials. Local officials could also face misdemeanor charges.