Georgia immigration law enforced with help of new panel

Georgia's top political leaders on Friday named the members of a powerful new investigative panel aimed at cracking down on government officials who fail to enforce the state's immigration-related laws.

Called the Immigration Enforcement Review Board, the seven-member panel will have the power to investigate complaints filed against city, county and state officials, hold hearings, subpoena documents, adopt regulations and hand out punishment.

The board stems from Georgia's new immigration enforcement law -- formerly known as House Bill 87 -- much of which went into effect July 1. The newly appointed members include an anti-illegal immigration activist, a sheriff, some attorneys and several local government officials. A spokesman for Gov. Nathan Deal said the board plans to hold its first meeting and adopt its procedures by Oct. 1.

Deal has appointed the following people:

• Shawn Hanley, former candidate for state GOP chairman. A former U.S. Marine, he runs a procurement consulting firm.

• Phil Kent, the national spokesman of Americans for Immigration Control, which supports the strict enforcement of immigration laws. He is a former press secretary to the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond. Kent is president of Phil Kent Consulting Inc., an Atlanta-based public relations and media company.

• Ben Vinson, an attorney with the Atlanta office of McKenna Long & Aldridge, where he focuses on political law and state government affairs issues. Vinson served as majority caucus counsel in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has made these appointments:

• Boyd Austin, mayor of Dallas and chairman of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. He is the property manager for Senior Communities Management Inc.

• Mike Yeager, sheriff of Coweta County. He previously served with the Newnan Police Department and the Georgia Department of Corrections.

House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, has named these people to the panel:

• Terry Clark, a member of the Colquitt County Commission and of the Lower Flint-Ochlockonee Council.