Georgia Republican lawmakers are advancing a bill that would require local and state police to identify, arrest and detain undocumented immigrants – responsibilities normally reserved for federal immigration enforcement.
The proposal gained momentum after a Venezuelan migrant was arrested in the killing of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student in Athens, Georgia. Immigrant rights advocates in the state say the bill demonizes immigrants, pointing to research that shows undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than others.
But Republican state Rep. Jesse Petrea, the bill’s sponsor, said it will bolster public safety.
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