The Georgia Legislature took a significant step towards improving public safety last week by passing the Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act of 2024 (HB 1105) and sending it to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk. If signed into law, HB 1105 will put teeth into Georgia’s anti-sanctuary law to ensure criminal aliens operating in Georgia communities are not shielded from immigration enforcement.

HB 1105 requires Georgia’s local law enforcement agencies to cooperate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws by honoring of detainer requests. The bill also imposes penalties for sheriff’s offices and jailers who refuse to participate in ICE’s 287(g) program. If found violating HB 1105, the locality will lose state and federal funding.

The Senate chamber was filled with drama as debate on the bill came to a close. Laken Riley’s parents entered the Senate chamber for the final vote and her father, Jason Riley, stepped towards the podium to speak. Mr. Riley urged Senators take action. “God gave me a beautiful daughter to father, protect, provide for, and nurture. A man with an evil heart stole her life. He was in this country and in this state illegally. My vision for every senator in this chamber is that you protect citizens from this illegal invasion.”

Despite being considered a common-sense measure by most, some Georgia lawmakers opposed the bill. Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes, (D-Duluth), suggested the bill will negatively impact all immigrants. She suggested the bill was designed to punish victims of crimes “whose only connection to the crime is share[ing] the [same] immigration status of the perpetrator,” rendering them “collateral damage” to immigration enforcement efforts.

However, Senator John Albers (R), the bill’s sponsor, spoke on the tragic nature of Laken’s death, saying, “This could have been prevented. I hope laws like this and other things that are happening will prevent future tragedies from happening.”

Tragically, Laken Riley became the collateral damage of the Biden administration’s open-border policies and Athens-Clarke County’s sanctuary policies. And it took Laken’s murder to focus Georgia lawmakers on the dangerous impact open borders and sanctuary policies have on public safety. Equally distressing is the fact that Laken’s death isn’t an isolated incident but rather one of a few that has garnered national media attention. According to Representative Jesse Petrea (R-166), a co-sponsor of HB 1105, nearly 200 convicted murderers are classified as illegal aliens within Georgia’s prison system. “There’s 182 today, so my point is to say Laken Riley wasn’t the first. it’s high-profile. It’s horrible. Remember this: Every single violent crime committed against someone by someone illegally in the country was and is an avoidable crime.”

While HB 1105 cannot undo the tragic loss of Laken and the other victims of illegal alien crime, it stands as a crucial measure in condemning the actions of her murderer and safeguarding the community against future acts of violence. This bill is expected to be signed by Governor Kemp. When remarking on Laken’s death, Governor Kemp said, “This is a failure of our system on multiple levels, and at multiple times, and it has resulted in a young woman’s death. That is inexcusable.”

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