Georgia State Representative Casey Carpenter, a Republican who represents a strongly Republican district, is going against his party’s usual position on immigration by actively pushing for reform. His efforts come from a deep understanding of how important immigrants are to the economic health of his district, Dalton, Georgia, a city known for its history in the carpet industry.
In an interview with MSNBC, Carpenter’s advocacy started with a specific case: a college student born in Mexico who was arrested in Dalton for a traffic violation and then held for over two weeks in an ICE detention center. This event made Carpenter see the real human cost of current immigration policies and how they affect his community. He argues that many immigrants in his district are important members of the community, contributing significantly to the local economy and doing jobs that many Americans either cannot or will not do.
