Georgia bill aimed at requiring law enforcement to heed immigration requests heads to governor

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia bill that aims to require local jailers to work with immigration authorities is headed to the governor’s desk for his signature. Georgia’s House of Representatives voted Thursday to accept changes to House Bill 1105 by a vote of 99 to 75. Under the measure, local law enforcement agencies would risk losing state funding for failing to work with immigration officials. Local officials could also face misdemeanor charges. The measure was backed by Republicans and gained traction after police accused a Venezuelan man of beating a nursing student to death on the University of Georgia campus. Democrats raised concerns it would turn local law enforcement into immigration police, making communities less willing to report crime and work with them.