The Georgia Senate passed SB 269 on Friday, February 26, underscoring the Peach State’s reputation as a leader in the fight against illegal immigration. Indeed, Georgia already has several pro-immigration enforcement laws on the books, which SB 269 by Sen. Jesse Stone (R-23) serves to strengthen.
Specifically, Georgia law already requires all public, and private employers with more than 10 employees, to participate in the federal E-Verify employment eligibility authorization program. Moreover, Georgia requires state and local governments to use the federal SAVE system to verify the lawful presence of individuals before administering public benefits.
To enforce these provisions, Georgia law requires agencies to submit annual compliance reports. If the entity subject to the compliance report is found in violation of the law, the state may require certification of compliance to receive funding.
In addition to its employment and public benefit verification laws, Georgia also takes the critical step of prohibiting local governments from instituting sanctuary policies. Specifically, current law prohibits jurisdictions from restricting public employees from cooperating with federal officials or law enforcement with regard to reporting immigration status information.
SB 269 strengthens these current laws in two key ways. First, the bill adds Georgia’s anti-sanctuary provisions to the list items for which local governments must issue annual compliance reports. Second, it amends current law by asserting that the state shall require certification as proof of compliance to receive funding.
In short, SB 269 would make it so that jurisdictions in Georgia that refuse to comply with state law prohibiting sanctuary policies, requiring E-Verify, and directing the use of the SAVE system, would lose state funding. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the legislation, 49-2.
The Georgia Senate also approved a second immigration bill Monday, February 29. Senate Bill (SB) 6 would stop illegal aliens granted deferred action under President Obama’s executive amnesty from receiving standard driver’s licenses in Georgia, and instead requires deferred action recipients to receive “driving safety cards” or “special identification cards.” Licenses or identification cards under the proposal will also indicate that the card holder does not possess lawful status. The Georgia Senate approved SB 6 by a 37-17 vote.
Senator Josh McKoon (R-29) introduced Senate Bill 6 to close the unintentional loophole that allows illegal aliens to receive regular Georgia driver’s licenses. Currently, Georgia law allows driver’s license applicants to present documents showing a grant of deferred action to meet its lawful presence requirement. “We have very little in the way of identity verification for people that are receiving these licenses and who have no lawful status,” Senator McKoon commented just before the vote.
“Previously, Georgia law restricted illegal aliens from getting a driver’s license,” Senator McKoon said last year, while discussing a similar proposal that would have revoked driver’s licenses from deferred action recipients all together. “When the President created the ‘deferred action status’ class, he deliberately created a loophole to make millions of illegal aliens eligible for Georgia driver’s licenses and other public benefits.”
A 2015 poll conducted by Rosetta Stone Communications revealed that Georgia voters oppose allowing illegal aliens, even those who have received deferred action under President Obama’s executive action, to receive driver’s licenses. Sixty-four percent of registered voters in Georgia supported legislation to prevent illegal aliens with deferred action from receiving driver’s licenses in the state, with only 21% of voters opposing.
Currently, only 12 states and the District of Columbia have laws that grant driving privileges to illegal aliens. However, President Obama’s executive amnesty, if allowed to go into effect, will make illegal aliens eligible for driver’s licenses all 50 states, in addition to shielding illegal aliens from deportation and rewarding them with work authorization.
Both bills now go to the Georgia House, where Republicans have a margin of 118-60. The Georgia General Assembly adjourns March 31, giving the lower chamber a month to move on the legislation. Stay tuned to FAIR for updates….
12 Comments
Obviously illegal aliens are breaking the laws of America and GA with no respect for either..their own countries are laying in ruin because of lawlessness and disrespect for rules and laws…why would any of us want them to ruin our great nation ? GO HOME AND FIX YOUR OWN COUNTRY and quit raping our country of our resources ! We are America..because of strict immigration laws..do you realize that we did not allow any, not one, immigrant in our country from 1924 to 1965 ! Because we needed to assimilate the thousands that had just come in.. they had to learn our culture and ways and love and support America..Not now.,these people are here to try and change our culture to be as they want it to be…their country is destroyed and now they will act the same lawless way here as they did in their own country ! WE MUST SAVE AMERICA BY ENFORCING THE LAWS WE HAVE ON OUR BOOKS AND CLOSING OUR BORDERS ! Send them back so they can build up their own country..quit enabling people to ruin one country and come here to do the same..! Force them to build a better way of life at home.-let them fight as hard as we have to maintain a great country..not destroy what we fought for ,!!!!
meant SWE not Sweet
It is not right to allow ilegal immigrants in all USA territory,now we have to work for less money and more time because af this legal immigration. My daughter CA not can find a job, because all employment are full of illegal immigrants,and the government knows that situation,just make employed pay penalties for hired and banks do not cash checks until the banks verified from s.s.a. and immigration records if that alien are living legal in the country,olso give authority to local law enforcement to stop this people and verified documents.
what does your daughter do for a living?
Great to see a state that adheres to core values and the rule of law! My state, Maryland, is pervaded near entirely by ignorant representation, save our current governor savior for the most part. And the POS in the White House, is an utter disgrace to this nation, period!
They are not here legaly do not treat them like the are send them back.
Really and how did you ancestors came? please enlighten me…because everybody has a right to a better life….that is those illegals who were given a job by The People and are being abused…….so……they were allowed to stay by us…..if you say not …….hen you are not an American…..Americans stick to each other and take accountability to fix things for the benefits of the country and everybody in a situation…….Cantasano..
Wrong No Change IMO
We didn’t pick the wood brain open border puppet candidates out…..guys like Koch and Soros did…..blame them! They caused this whole mess to happen. Voters are innocent. Trump has proved that BTW.
voters are innocent? really….you have no concept of what “The People” mean then and you think we are Russia where the gov makes us do things…..good luck
Sweet they picked those guys…..but the people follow…they do not stop and use the other 50% of the vote to stop them…….now you see what Ia m saying………………….so most of us do not care……..basically to the few like you that do……..so that is the twisted reality…..
meant SWE not Sweet
So I misunderstood your feedback at first….not that your reality is twisted but that the reality itself as perceived by the majority of the people………