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February 9, 2010

Ga. debates incentives for federal crackdown

ATLANTA (AP) — A Cobb County lawmaker is proposing legislation that would provide financial incentives to encourage local law enforcement to use a federal program aimed at identifying illegal immigrants arrested in Georgia.

The bill sponsored by Sen. John Wiles would provide a 20 percent bonus from the state to local governments that use a federal program that helps them identify illegal immigrants in custody.

It also would provide a 10 percent bonus for another program that allows arrestee fingerprint information to be checked against FBI criminal history records.

“Many people from other nations move to the U.S. and Georgia and become law-abiding American citizens to find a better life for their families,” Wiles said in a statement after submitting the legislation. “Unfortunately, there are some that choose to circumvent our laws. There is a growing concern that many criminal illegal aliens are not being identified because local governments do not participate in these important programs.”

The Kennesaw Republican added that people who are in the country illegally are committing crimes and costing communities money.

Jerry Gonzales, president of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, said the bill is morally reprehensible and fiscally irresponsible.

“I think Sen. Wiles is trying to promote further racial profiling in Georgia,” Gonzales said. “This would open the floodgates for Georgia to continue to be seen as a state that is extremely hostile towards immigrants ... and would hurt Georgia’s ability to attract foreign investment to the state.”

Gonzales said the bill ignores reports of racial profiling in metro Atlanta and the state’s current budget crisis.

“I thought the state had a revenue issue,” Gonzales said. “Why isn’t the senator working to address that issue rather than trying to create a program that would decrease funds for the state?”

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