FILE - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks to members of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce regarding the beating death of nursing student Laken Riley on Feb. 26, 2024, in Athens, Ga. Kemp on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, signed a law that requires jailers to check the immigration status of inmates, a move he says could help prevent crimes by people who entered the United States illegally.
“If you enter our country illegally and proceed to commit further crimes in our communities, we will not allow your crimes to go unanswered,” Kemp said. The law lays out specific requirements for how jail officials should check with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to determine whether prisoners are known to be in the country illegally. Georgia law previously only encouraged jailers to do so, but the new law makes it a misdemeanor to “knowingly and willfully” fail to check immigration status. The bill would also deny state funding to local governments that don’t cooperate.with ICE to let local jailers help enforce immigration law.