The killing of a woman in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant is sparking fierce debate in Georgia.
Channel 2’s Lori Geary was at the State Capitol where State Sen. Josh McKoon said he already has 12 co-sponsors to a bill that would prohibit illegal immigrants, even those under federal deferred action status, from obtaining Georgia drivers licenses.
He also wants to punish any law enforcement agencies not complying with federal immigration orders when it comes to inmates.
McKoon says he fears last week’s killing of a young woman, Kathryn Steinle, in San Francisco allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant deported five times could happen in Georgia.
“Out of this tragedy, we need to try to move forward on this before we have our own tragedy here in Georgia,” McKoon said.
McKoon says his bill would also punish local law enforcement agencies that don’t comply with Immigration and Custom Enforcement holds, a policy in San Francisco that he says led to the release of the suspect.
McKoon has the backing of sheriffs in Gwinnett and Cobb counties. They already check the immigration status of all inmates.
“I truly believe it has saved lives,” Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren said.”
“If law enforcement agencies in San Francisco had policies in place that Sheriff Warren has in place, Kathryn Steinle would be alive today,” said McKoon.
Jerry Gonzalez, the executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, told Geary that McKoon is using this tragedy to further his political agenda and calls it shameful.
He says the more than 18,000 folks issued Georgia drivers licenses under deferred action status are lawfully present in the U.S.
"The federal government is issuing them work permits, the federal government is issuing them social security cards, the state is issuing them driver’s licenses," Gonzalez said. "So what part of legal doesn’t Sen. Josh McKoon understand?”
McKoon introduced a similar bill last year that did not even get a hearing.
He said he is hopeful that won’t be the case next legislative session.
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