States led by Republicans are seeking to further bolster cooperation with federal immigration authorities as efforts to expedite the Trump administration’s deportation effort take shape nationwide.
On Monday, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) announced he requested Immigration and Customs Enforcement training for all sworn 1,100 officers at the Georgia Department of Public Safety under the federal 287(g) program.
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“If you are in our country illegally and committing crimes, you have no place in Georgia,” Kemp said in a press release announcing the collaboration between ICE and DPS. “This is another commonsense measure on top of those we’ve taken since I first took office to further enable hardworking law enforcement to assist in identifying and apprehending illegal aliens who pose a risk to public safety. I’m also thankful we now have an administration and partner in the White House who recognizes the gravity of this issue and prioritizes keeping Americans safe by securing the border and cracking down on illegal immigration.”
The same day, Texas lawmakers debated a bill requiring sheriffs to collaborate with ICE on efforts to target illegal immigrants. SB 8 is supported by the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas, which is one of the oldest law enforcement associations in the country representing 254 Lone Star counties. The bill would provide smaller counties funding to partner with ICE on immigration enforcement initiatives and is backed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and the state’s Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, according to the Texas Tribune.
And in recent weeks, a slew of GOP-led states, including Florida, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and South Carolina, signed up for “task force” agreements with ICE expanding authorities for local and state law enforcement to interrogate suspected illegal immigrants about their immigration status during routine police stops, according to an analysis by the South Carolina Daily Gazette published last week.
ICE announced earlier this month that 32,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested since President Donald Trump took office, including 14,111 convicted criminals and 9,980 with pending criminal charges.
The pushback from traditionally Democratic strongholds in several of those states against enhanced anti-illegal immigration measures, while present, was limited.
In Austin, after ICE carried out a sweep in January, the city’s police chief told the Austin American-Statesman that federal officials told her the raid targeted “wanted violent offenders.”
“At the end of the day, these are people APD would be looking for as well. They were wanted for violent offenses,” Police Chief Lisa Davis said.
In Atlanta, there have been some protests from demonstrators who are angry over the Trump administration’s push to remove illegal immigrants from the country.
Still, at the end of January, several metro Atlanta police departments made it a point to issue corrective statements after a police officer posted a video saying local law enforcement was not contacting ICE to report illegal immigrants, according to Atlanta News First.
ICE ARRESTS TOP 32,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SINCE TRUMP TOOK OFFICE
“If we encounter an individual with an active warrant or an immigration detainer, we will detain that individual and notify Immigration Customs and Enforcement,” the Lilburn Police Department said in a statement referencing the “misleading” video. “This has been our policy for years, and we remain committed to it.”
And the Peach State’s Republican-led senate is pushing a bill that would waive sovereign immunity, or legal protections, for local jurisdictions that violate Georgia’s sanctuary city ban and refuse to cooperate with ICE.