FAIR’s State and Local Team Action Updates

Georgia

Sadly, it took the murder of Laken Riley to spur action, but the Georgia Legislature responded to that needless tragedy by passing the Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act of 2024, HB 1105. It was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in May. This legislation – a huge victory for immigration enforcement advocates – mandates that all local law enforcement agencies coordinate with federal authorities on matters regarding illegal aliens.

HB 1105 requires that officers verify the immigration status of those they arrest. Additionally, local jails must participate in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 287(g) program, which permits jail personnel to identify aliens subject to deportation. If an agency fails to adhere to the new law, its locality will lose state funding as well as any federal monies administered by the state. Further, a violation of HB 1105 by an individual may be classified as a misdemeanor. Finally, the Georgia Department of Corrections and detention centers are required to publish reports on illegal aliens every 90 days, specifying the immigration status, offense, and home country of illegal alien inmates.

At the signing ceremony, Gov. Kemp noted that the bill “became one of our top priorities…following the senseless death of Laken Riley at the hands of someone in this country illegally who had already been arrested.” Kemp continued, “[W]hen you got people coming in here illegally, committing crimes, multiple crimes, especially killing someone, we are not going to stand for that.”

Oklahoma

In May, Governor Kevin Stitt signed House Bill (HB) 4156 into law. This immigration enforcement legislation imposes penalties for being in the state illegally. The new law is modeled after Texas and Iowa laws aimed at stemming the impacts of illegal immigration in those states.

HB 4156 creates a new crime called “impermissible occupation.” Impermissible occupation is defined as an alien who willfully and without permission or legal authorization enters into Oklahoma and remains in the state. A first “impermissible occupation” offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $500 fine. Following the conviction or release from custody, the individual is required to leave the state within 72 hours. Subsequent “impermissible occupation” offenses, or an offense during the commission of another crime, becomes a felony punishable by up to two years in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. An alien convicted of re-entry will be subject to these same penalties.

The Oklahoma law was sponsored by State Senator Greg Treat who noted that it was necessary because “the federal government has failed. The U.S. Congress, they have not done anything to impact it. So what can we do? We can say you have to be here legally in Oklahoma.” And they did.

Ohio

A bill currently being debated in the Ohio Legislature would impose a 7 percent fee on remittances sent out of the United States from Ohio. The Withholding Illegal Revenue Entering Drug Markets (WIRED) Act, HB 451, would direct the funds raised by the state from those fees to be distributed as grants to local law enforcement agencies. Tens of billions of dollars a year are pumped out of local economies in the U.S. through remittances sent abroad, in large part from illegal aliens working in this country. And, as pointed out by one of the bill’s sponsors, at least some of that money is winding up in the pockets of the criminal cartels that run the smuggling operations that deliver illegal aliens to the U.S. in large numbers.

State Rep. Angela King believes HB 451 will curb the cartels’ impact. “Wire transfers have long been the tool of choice for illicit activity and money launderers. The remittance fee is a financial weapon we can use to target illicit activity funneling money from the United States to the cartels while simultaneously supporting local law enforcement,” she stated.

FAIR’s Director of State and Local Engagement, Shari Rendall, traveled to Columbus in early May to testify on behalf of the WIRED Act. This is one of many state and local bills aimed at minimizing the damage of the Biden administration’s reckless policies, where FAIR is actively involved with activists who want to make a difference in their own communities.