House Bill 1105, called “The Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act of 2024,” is proposed legislation that aims to bolster public safety and security for Georgia communities through increased communication and information sharing by state and local officials and federal immigration agencies.
State Representative Mike Cameron (R-Rossville) expressed his support for HB 1105 in a press release on Friday, stating he “was proud to cast a ‘yes’ vote to support this important legislation to address illegal immigration” and that it was the responsibility of state legislatures “to protect the citizens we serve and enforce the rule of law in communities across the state so that senseless tragedies, like the murder of Laken Riley, won’t happen again under our watch.”
The flood of illegal immigration and the harmful repercussions on people and cities across the nation brought about by porous borders and the Biden Administration’s failure to act on border security remain top of mind for many Americans. Several Georgia representatives have responded by trying to address the issue through new legislative initiatives. HB 1105 is another attempt by state officials to combat the ongoing illegal immigration crisis affecting Georgia.
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz, as well as other sheriffs and jailers in the state, have faced scrutiny about their lack of cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials regarding illegal immigrants. HB 1105 intends to address that.
Specifically, HB 1105 would mandate tracking and reporting measures and compel Georgia law enforcement officials to cooperate “with federal immigration authorities fully and to send, receive and maintain information relating to the immigration status of any individual as reasonably needed for public safety purposes.”
For those illegal aliens or foreign nationals who are held in jail, the bill “requires sheriffs, jailers, and deputies to honor immigration detainer requests issued by the Department of Homeland Security” and “provide standard procedures for booking of illegal aliens and foreign nationals” while additionally directing “jailers to prepare quarterly reports outlining several categories of information for each jail jurisdiction.”
Lastly, HB 1105 would require state and local law enforcement personnel to comply with the bill’s directives or face penalties. According to Representative Cameron, “Any local sheriff’s office or local law enforcement agency that is found in violation would be subject to the withholding of state funding or state administered federal funding.” While HB 1105 would consider the first violation a misdemeanor, any further noncompliance would be viewed as “a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.”
Representative Cameron also thanked Representative Jesse Petrea (Savannah) and Representative Houston Gaines (R-Athens), Majority Caucus Vice-Chairman, for their hard work and commitment to this proposed legislation and said, “We have to draw the line on failed immigration policies of the Biden Administration and enforce the law to protect our citizens, and that’s what the House of Representatives did by passing this bill.” The bill is now in the Senate.
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Debra McClure is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Debra on X / Twitter.
Photo “Mike Cameron” by Mike Cameron GA House District 1.
