Governor Brian Kemp recently signed a package of legislation, including House Bill 1105, which critics say will have an unfair impact on immigrants in Georgia.
Governor Kemp signed multiple bills into law on Wednesday, many focused on public safety. House Bill 1105 was one such bill, which lawmakers expedited after the murder of former UGA student Laken Riley in February.
The new law, known as the Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act, was sponsored by Representative Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah).
It will require local public safety officers to report the immigration status of people booked into jails to federal authorities.
Clarke County Sheriff John Q Williams, who oversees the county jail, has long expected that his office would comply with House Bill 1105 if it was signed by the Governor. He says that the bill will have a profound impact on the jail.
“I think that the number of arrests would come in, we’d have more people that were stuck in jail. The fact is right now, ICE doesn’t come get everybody that’s arrested that might not be documented. Under those instances, that would put us in a situation where a lot more would be detained in jail and right now with our staffing, we’re trying to get through that,” he said.
The current policy followed by the Sheriff’s office has seen few changes since 2018.
