After Laken Riley killing, a Georgia bill prompts fears of an immigration crackdown

A coalition of immigrant advocacy groups hold a rally outside of the Georgia State Capitol in protest of HB 1105, a bill which would require local law enforcement to take on responsibilities of immigration and customs enforcements agents as part of a federal program known as 287g. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Georgia Republican lawmakers are advancing a bill that would require local and state police to identify, arrest and detain undocumented immigrants – responsibilities normally reserved for federal immigration enforcement.

The proposal gained momentum after a Venezuelan migrant was arrested in the killing of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student in Athens, Georgia. Immigrant rights advocates in the state say the bill demonizes immigrants, pointing to research that shows undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than others.