Local officials in Georgia would have to prove they comply with federal detention requests related to illegal immigrants in order to receive state funding under a measure passed Friday by the state Senate.
Senate Bill 269 aims to increase the state's effort to stop so-called "sanctuary cities," a term that applies to local governments that don't fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. It comes after the fatal shooting last year of a woman in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times.
State law already bars local governments from adopting "sanctuary" policies and bans state-funded grants going to any governments that adopt such a policy anyway. But there is no reporting requirement to confirm compliance, said the bill's sponsor, state Rep. Jesse Stone, R-Waynesboro. He wants to change that.
SB 269 passed Friday on a 49-2 vote. It now goes to the state House for consideration.
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