If this illegal immigrant bill passes, watch what you say to strangers
Legislation just introduced by state Rep. Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City, to control illegal immigration is getting some scrutiny.
From my AJC colleage Jeremy Redmon:
Similar to Arizona’s controversial new law, Ramsey’s bill would require state and local law enforcement officers to investigate the immigration status of people they reasonably suspect of being in the country illegally. It would also authorize police to arrest them if they are in the country illegally and transport them to a federal jail….
Ramsey’s bill would also require private businesses with more than five employees to use a federal program called E-Verify. That program seeks to verify that newly hired employees are eligible to work in the United States. A coalition of businesses and immigrant rights groups is suing to stop a similar law in Arizona that requires all businesses to use E-Verify, arguing that it is unconstitutional.
Not exactly pioneering concepts. But below is an excerpt from the press release issued by Ramsey, describing his intent – the legislation itself has yet to be posted online:
”The bill also creates criminal penalties for any individual that encourages an illegal alien to come to Georgia or that transports or harbors an illegal alien once they arrive.”
If this passes, do not talk to strangers — at home or abroad — about what damn fine weather we have here in Georgia, or make reference to how friendly and hospitable this state’s people are. Under no circumstances are you to hum about moonlight coming through the pines. You could find yourself doing time.
Oh – and Greyhound? Call your lobbyist.
Hat tip to Jason Pye on this one.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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205 comments Add your comment
Iron Lumber 13
January 26th, 2011
3:52 pm
Borders, schmorders. If they want to fix the illegal immigration problem they should go after THE PEOPLE THAT HIRE THEM AND RENT TO THEM, period. No jobs + no places to stay = no illegals.
That said if I were in they’re (illegals) shoes I’d be here too. Regardless, American workers in fields like construction shouldn’t be less because they have to compete with people WHO’LL DO ANYTHING FOR SUB-PAR WAGES AND NO BENEFITS OF ANY KIND. Illegal Immigration kills jobs and wages, nuff said.
Harry Reid
January 26th, 2011
3:54 pm
obama and eric holder will hold a news conference tomorrow to announce their intentions to sue Georgia if this bill becomes law. They will also announce what a great job they are doing in securing our borders.
Atlanta-born Latino
January 26th, 2011
3:55 pm
Listen, if we want to start talking about “supporting” people, let’s factor in that $10 Billion is less than 3% of the $434 Billion we spend annually on Federal and State welfare programs!!!
Iron Lumber 13
January 26th, 2011
3:55 pm
wowzers I should proofread
American wages is what I meant to say and…
their shoes
woops
Jim T
January 26th, 2011
3:56 pm
Corey
January 26th, 2011
3:52 pm
Conservatives- epecially the red state variety- are driven by fear, paranoia, mean spiritedness and spite. They always look outside of themselves for thier own misery and lay blame at the feet of this or that group. If it isn’t the blacks, it’s the hispanics, or the Muslims, or the gays, or the welfare recepients, or the libs ad nauseam. The very same people who are so afraid of their fellow worshippers and want to sit in the pew on Sunday morning packing heat.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Corey, just wondering what flavor kool aid are you drinking?
Now, grab you little leftie snuggie blanket and go back to sleep…it’s cold outside.
cliff Zeider
January 26th, 2011
3:57 pm
Hey, There goes the Mexican Rests. cliff
Toby Saunders
January 26th, 2011
3:57 pm
As the BBCs Greg Palast accurately notes, these laws are politically influenced: it’s the new age of the GOP ’southern strategy’, that is, finding creative ways to prevent racial minorties (usually Democratic voters) from voting. In this instance, some low-income Latin people will be afraid of being arrested for ‘looking illegal’ when standing in these long lines we see at under-served voting polls in low-income areas, hence, Democrats will get fewer votes: it’s a racially-based scare tactic & it immorally works in the GOPs favor.
HereandThere
January 26th, 2011
3:58 pm
Public Schools are largely paid for through property taxes and sales taxes – both of which “illegals” pay. In fact in DeKalb and many other places rental units pay a higher rate of property taxes.
Come on Man
January 26th, 2011
3:58 pm
Here’s an idea; enforce the law we have today. Last time i looked, it is was already illegal to come to our country outside the legal process. Its time to stand up for us for a change. Criminals need to be sent back to where they came from.
Trey
January 26th, 2011
3:59 pm
thebob.bob said, “All whites of European ancestry are illegal immigrants. They were religious fanatics who invaded the continent and murdered, raped and pillaged the native-born Americans. Their descendants should leave at once”
Wrong, being illegal is a crime and crimes happen when laws are broken. The life was different back then and the people here had no laws like that to be broken. There are laws now, and these people who come here without following the laws are illegal. In the past taking over land was normal.
DR DMAN
January 26th, 2011
4:01 pm
MOVE OUR MILITARY TRAINING CENTERS TO OUR SOUTHERN BORDER! The ILLEGAL invasion is costing us BILLIONS, federal funds, state funds & local funds. Our most recent wars have been fought in areas that are ‘desert like’. #2 the DRUG WAR is costing us BILLIONS… most of it coming into the U.S. over our Southern Border. Why not address BOTH of those issues by putting MOST of our military training facilities ALONG that border…??? Then, if/when the Mexican government get SERIOUS about fighting their growing DRUG CARTEL/DRUG MURDER issues… possibly we send in some of our guys to help them CLEAN this $%#& up…! TWO PROBLEMS… ONE SOLUTION…!
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:02 pm
Mr. Chamber of Commers said, “Businesses will leave the state. Agriculture will take a huge hit. Boycotts will occur. Conventions will cancel. Hotels and restaurants will go out of business. Police won’t be able to their job b/c they will be hauling brown people around.
You shallow idiots in support of this legislation are going to bring this great state to its knees. Idiots!”
You need to learn that not all illegals are brown people. Your statement also makes it sound like you want illegals here just for your own personal gain, such as legal slavery.
Nerm
January 26th, 2011
4:02 pm
OK, so not that it matters now but when they start building houses again the prices will skyrocket. Restaurant prices will skyrocket along with the fruits and vegetables in our grocery stores. Roads, what roads? We don’t need no stinkin roads… Textiles, Mills, Factories, etc.
Why do you think Republicans haven’t created an Act in Congress to deal with the 10+ Million illegals in the country? Why don’t they just send them back? First, it would cripple our economy. The chinese dollar is extremely undervalued and could soon replace the dollar as the worlds reserve. The chinese already own over 1 trillion in US notes. Why? Because they have a cheap labor force!! You’re all a bunch of dimwits. A cheap immigrant labor force is what has allowed the US economy to dominate the global market place for the last century. Get rid of it now and we won’t have to wait until 2020 for the Chinese to officially take over as the largest GDP. Second, the Repubs biggest contributors rely the most on the cheap labor force!! The wealthies people in America line their pockets on the work mexican immigrants do.
Why didn’t the Dems create amnesty when they had control? Because they wouldn’t be able to bandwagon every election cycle.
And, yes. They will do jobs that others won’t. And, for less pay. That is the only way we are going stay ahead of the developing nations around the world. Not just China either. India (1.15 Billion), Brazil (200 Million), Indonesia (229 Million), Bangladesh (162 Million). You really think Americans can produce a better product at a CHEAPER PRICE than these countries? This is what has gotten us in the trouble where we are at now. We consume a chitload more than we produce. Why ‘we’ Americans feel like we have a birthright to control the free world is beyond me. The US makes up only 5% of the worlds population. If you think countries like Iran, Russia and China aren’t meeting right now to stop valuing oil in US dollars then you need to get your head out of the sand or wherever you may have it right now.
Mexicans may be the only source of labor that can save this country, especially with the majority of our country about to start receiving social security and living off the teet of medicaid. The boomers ‘golden years’ are going to bankrupt our country into oblivion. We need a steady stream for the new workforce.
I am a lifetime resident of the state of Georgia but I see what is happening beyond the county I live in. You people need to wake the F up!
Our forecasted national debt in 2011 is 1.5Billion.
People have been using races/ethnicities as scapegoats since America was formed…from the Irish to the Chinese it’s always been someone else fault and not our own.
GA Boy
January 26th, 2011
4:02 pm
Beth, google “earnings suspense file”. The federal government receives billions in taxes from fictitious social security numbers paid by undocumented workers.
Atlanta-born Latino
January 26th, 2011
4:03 pm
@Trey – so because taking over land back then was normal and there were no laws against that made it right??? Do you really want to go down that path?
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
Thebob.bob, oh yeah. These were not the “Americas” when the people before us lived here, and the decendents should not leave because of what happened in the past, because guess, what, a lot of Americans today did not have ancestors here when that happened. My earliest relatives got here in the 1800 to 1900s, with the exception of my Cherokee great grand mother.
Common Sense
January 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
To those of you who don’t have a problem with illegal aliens, let me ask you this:
How do you feel about someone breaking into your house and stealing what is yours? How about those who run red lights, but don’t hit anybody? What about drug pushers selling drugs to our kids by the playground?
The fact of the matter is that the USA is a land of LAWS, and those laws need to be followed. That is why we have stop signs, speed limits, and rules regarding behavior towards others.
Anyone who wants to become an American, by following the proper process, then I am all for it. Those who wish to attain it illegally should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Just because the Feds choose not to enforce the law does NOT mean that the individual States should just sit back and let the illegals drain their coffers so that the legal citizens have to suffer.
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:05 pm
Atlanta-born Latino, re-read my post. I said it was normal back then and it was not illegal. We have laws now, and the laws must be followed. If you come here illegal then you are a criminal, point blank.
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:08 pm
Atlanta-born Latino, it was normal back then, but I never said it was right. However, you got people calling white people the true “illegal immigrants” for what European ancestors did. They weren’t, now if there were laws placed against that kind of stuff, then I’d say it was illegal.
reality
January 26th, 2011
4:10 pm
its cheaper to jail them and send them back to mexico than it is to let them stay and drain the housing communities and government assistance programs. I dont mine paying a higher tax to get them of the burden of the government. Send em back to Mexico, where they will continue to support the drug cartels and their anti american hatred
@crazyforliberty (Doug Craig)
January 26th, 2011
4:10 pm
I believe Reagan was the last president to give out Amensty. The great hero of the GOP.You know maybe he was on the right track. Did not the economy boom while he was prez.Maybe he knew what he was doing. What would Reagan do he would go with freedom and the free markets. What would todays GOP. Again guys we try to solve a proplem the government made with a government solution but I would not expect anything less from the GOP. They love government when it suites them
reality
January 26th, 2011
4:11 pm
get the off the burden of the government
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:13 pm
reality, but not all illegal immigrants are from Mexico. You have illegal immigrants from all over thw world over here. Obama’s grandmother is an illegal immigrant, but for some reason she gets to continue to live here and drain our resources.
Storm 8
January 26th, 2011
4:13 pm
Now that they have built my house they can get to steppin’ huh? We rely too much on conventions and sports to alienate potential visitors. Have the clowns looked at teh negative economic impact on Arizona of this type of legislation?
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:16 pm
Storm 8, so you just want to use illegals for your own financial gain? By the way, what negative economic impact has Arizona had due to their new immigration laws? They have been doing just fine over there.
HereandThere
January 26th, 2011
4:16 pm
No matter what the laws stated for years we laid the welcome mat out and encouraged people to come to the U.S. the one trade off being they don’t get benefits, they don’t have rights and if they commit a felony they are deported. And yes many came and risked their lives to get here because its a very dangerous trip. They came to escape poverty not on a whim. People be human – for all the talk of Christian benevolence in this State I’m not seeing much of that here. At least the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptists recognize the need to show some humanity.
Bottom line we are changing the rules midstream. They aren’t breaking into anyone’s house, they aren’t taking anything they are contributing. The better analogy is if someone gets caught Jay Walking are they a criminal….they are breaking the law after all… but that hardly amounts to a criminal act. Coming to the U.S.A. was not considered a criminal act before and its unfair and economically unwise to change the rules now.
Atlanta-born Latino
January 26th, 2011
4:16 pm
Wrong Trey. Being in the country illegally is a civil offense according to federal law, punishable by fines and deportation. it does not make you a criminal.
Incidentally, Cubans and hispanics from certain countries that have suffered natural disasters come into the country illegally every day and are granted asylum. So illegal becomes a relative term and is used so selectively as to be discriminatory
NYG5056
January 26th, 2011
4:18 pm
They are breaking the LAW. I do not understand how you can say its unconstitutional.They are not US citizens there for OUR constitition has nothing to do with them. I am not worried about France’s laws cause I am an American. I have no problem with wanting to be a US citizen but do it legally. If this law passes I think I might join ICE I know where some of these illegals hang out in Canton looking for work.
HereandThere
January 26th, 2011
4:19 pm
Trey that’s the problem you believe the hype being fed to you by right wing wackos who are trying to scare you. Read some objective reporting on all this. They aren’t draining anything. True the government may not net a gain on lower income people deporting all illegals will just move others into the lower income range.
Iron Lumber 13
January 26th, 2011
4:20 pm
Once again and I’m done. IT’S NOT a border issue. Protecting the border would cost too much especially if the government KEEPS ALLOWING COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO HIRE THEM AND RENT TO THEM.
As a former construction worker, I’ll tell you right now that the only reason illegals have work, is because they’ll do ANYTHING FOR LESS. These business guys that hire them are scum and have eroded working class wages that compete with illegals. They get away without paying workers comp., fair wages, insurance, unemployment, etc. they are EXPLOITATIVE and should be shut down for many reasons such as those. So, shut them down because they hire illegals instead of resident aliens and Americans.
alan
January 26th, 2011
4:20 pm
O my god! I may have to pay more to have pine straw put down!!!!!!
john
January 26th, 2011
4:22 pm
More Liberal slant from the AJC. I’m sure it will require manpower and jails to house all of these illegals. Small price to pay for making an effort to stop the taxpayer bleeding that currently funds the healthcare, etc. for these criminals. This policy would guarantee that when I speak to a neighbor about the weather or moonlight, his answer would be in English!
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:22 pm
Atlanta-born Latino, but if that was so true and just a “civil offense”, then the federal government would have no business interfering with Arizona’s new immigration laws.
“Under Title 8 Section 1325 of the U.S. Code, “Improper Entry by Alien,” any citizen of any country other than the United States who:
Enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers; or
Eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers; or
Attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact;
has committed a federal crime.
Violations are punishable by criminal fines and imprisonment for up to six months. Repeat offenses can bring up to two years in prison. Additional civil fines may be imposed at the discretion of immigration judges, but civil fines do not negate the criminal sanctions or nature of the offense.”
If you do something illegal that means it is a crime. If you commit crimes you are a criminal. Actually, it is not just the Cubans and Hispanics that are granted asylum, refugees from all over the world have come over for asylums.
Atlanta-born Latino
January 26th, 2011
4:24 pm
True, but Cubans do enter “illegally”. The book on them is if they are caught before they get to shore they’re deported, but if they make landfall they’re home free.
Tom
January 26th, 2011
4:25 pm
There’s a big difference in saying, “We have great weather here, and the people are very hospitable”, and ” We have great weather here, the people are very hospitable. You should come and live here illegally!” The author of this article has got to be a Simpleton.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
January 26th, 2011
4:26 pm
It should be a crime to knowingly transport illegal aliens to the state..or to lure them..it’s called being a coyote. But according to liberals, illegal aline sonly do jobs americans don;t want, so those jobs never existed before the illegals came . zero sum gain. If illegals are damned and determined to be in GA, at least make it comical and drive a big paper machete pinata to the state border then bust out and scatter to the 4 corners of the state.
rathssuit
January 26th, 2011
4:26 pm
So much for the state’s farming industry.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
January 26th, 2011
4:26 pm
Tom, the author is a democrat..nuff said:)
deegee
January 26th, 2011
4:27 pm
The dittoheads in this country complain about the labor unions and how they break the back of American business with all of the high wages and benefits they extract from their employers. Then they turn around and complain about how illegal immigrants are breaking the back of American labor because they work cheap. Go figure.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
January 26th, 2011
4:29 pm
@rathsuit..how did the states farming industry exist (even as a much larger % of the states GDP than today) before illegal aliens? Oh thats right, the work was done by people legal to be here.
Luda Kris
January 26th, 2011
4:30 pm
I don’t think you could author a bill like this unless you had hate in your heart.
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:30 pm
“Trey that’s the problem you believe the hype being fed to you by right wing wackos who are trying to scare you. Read some objective reporting on all this. They aren’t draining anything. True the government may not net a gain on lower income people deporting all illegals will just move others into the lower income range.”
I’d rather believe the hype from the right-wing wackos than the left-wing loonies. Funny, as I am not a right-winger, nor a left-winger. I am a Libertarian, and Libertarians want stronger immigration enforcement laws. For you to tell me that I need to “read”, is complete garbage, as I do read about this stuff or I wouldn’t comment.
Let’s see:
Illegals get hurt or sick, able to get medical care at hospitals.
Illegals have kids who are automatic citizens and are able to overcrowd classrooms.
Illegals are being used as legal slavery.
If you allow people to stay illegally, that just defeats the purpose for those that are waiting in line just to become legal citizens. One of my friend’s has his green card and he is in the United States Army, yet he is having trouble becoming a complete citizen. Why should people turn the other way while illegals are coming over, while my friend is waiting in line and working his ass off to become a citizen? The sad part is that he is a citizen from Bosnia, the war torn country.
I love immigrants, as we are a nation of immigrants, but you should do it the legal way and if you come over illegally, you should be punished.
Carl
January 26th, 2011
4:30 pm
I do a lot of traveling internationally for work and when I work overseas I am required by that country to have valid documentation showing I am allowed to be in their country. For the life of me I can not understand why people are against it! ILLEGAL means ILLEGAL!!! It seems the only people upset by it are the ones that are either here illegally or have family/friends here illegally. And why is it unconstitutional to ask if someone is a legal resident? When the cops pull over a speeder, dont they ask for a drivers license? No one seems upset about that? We have become a nation that is way too afraid of hurting someones feelings and less concerned about protecting our borders. This is not just about the honest hard working (still illegal) guy that wants to come here, do manual labor and send money to his family in Mexico. This is also about protecting us from the terrorist that are entering our borders.
dmcsga
January 26th, 2011
4:30 pm
Republicans show their ignorance and stupidity again. America is becoming worse and worse, if we don’t watch ourselves we no longer will be Super Power more like a huge population that will eat our own action. First of all when poultry, meat, produce will triple in cost because lazy americans won’t do the job for $8 per hour than they want benefits, health insurance, etc Oh I forgot, not they don’t otherwise they wouldn’t cry about Obama care.
I can see now how everybody cries to feds that they can’t feed their kids because the farmers will hurt because they can’t get anybody to do the work, which in turn will cause them to go out of business and we will have to import dairy, produce, etc and pay triple. Georgia broke ass will be the first one to suffer.
Look at all these empty condos in midtown, they thought they could attract people to come here but guess what nobody wants to come here anymore to live, nor do the companies. I just read how Georgians were crying that Volkswagen wouldn’t hire anybody. Well, put it this way, if you think your racist and ignorant ways will attract foreigners to offer some relief think twice!
The last time I checked all American car makers are struggling to hold on, the only thing they could do was tarnish the image of Toyota in hopes we would buy American again.
If you want our country to turn around again and get the economy back up, we need money from outside of America because inside there is none. I don’t support illegal immigration but at the same time if you have people that are willing to die to be here and work here, they will make by far better citizens than the ones that are here already. There are plenty of ways to make it better way. I am pretty sure if there was a way for illegals to come here legally they would have obviously our policies are screwed up and not working.
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:31 pm
a war torn country.
Tim
January 26th, 2011
4:31 pm
I vote YES!
Orange09
January 26th, 2011
4:31 pm
Put it on the ballot. Let the voters decide.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
January 26th, 2011
4:32 pm
When your local walmrt puts in “the pinata” aisle, property values are heading down..time to move..RIP Buford Highway, RIP Lilburn, RIP Duluth, RIP smyrna,
Logic
January 26th, 2011
4:34 pm
The solution to fixing our illegal immigration problem isn’t that difficult. Enforce the law that already exists making it illegal for anyone to hire an illegal alien/immigrant. If you get caught employing undocumented workers you get fined, period. There is no need for anymore laws or fences. If there is not a job market for illegal immigrants in this country, they will have no incentive to come in the first place. As for those already here, the same principle will apply and they will have no choice but to go somewhere else that offers a job market or apply for legal immigration status.
Trey
January 26th, 2011
4:34 pm
Trisha, last time I was in a Wal-Mart I never saw that, but I agree, Lilburn, Buford Highway, and Duluth have gone into the complete crapper.