(The Center Square) – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wants state troopers trained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcing immigration laws, he said Monday.
The 1,100 officers who work under the Department of Public Safety would receive the training through the 287(g) program, the governor said in a release.
The program allows local governments to partner with ICE. The Georgia Department of Correction is participating in the jail enforcement model, which allows local law enforcement officials to identify people illegally in the country and turn them over to ICE for immigration proceedings. A sergeant and three corrections office are assigned to the current program, and a request was made by ICE for two additional officers, Kemp said.
About 1,730 inmates incarcerated through the corrections department have ICE detainers, according to the release.
Five local sheriff’s offices have participated in the 287(g) program for several years, according to the ICE website.
President Donald Trump called on federal-state partnerships in an executive order issued on his first day in office. Since the executive order, an additional six Georgia law enforcement agencies have applied. Three county sheriff’s offices, Montgomery, Murray and Spalding, have pending applications, according to ICE.
The public safety department would train under the Task Force Model, which “serves as a force multiplier for state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties,” according to the ICE website.
“If you are in our country illegally and committing crimes, you have no place in Georgia,” Kemp said. “This is another commonsense measure on top of those we’ve taken since I first took office to further enable hardworking law enforcement to assist in identifying and apprehending illegal aliens who pose a risk to public safety.”
The request to ICE was sent by Col. Billy Hitchens, who oversees the public safety department.
“This training and collaboration between agencies increases our ability to keep our communities safe,” Hitchens said. “Identifying those who pose a threat and who are not in our country legally through education and interagency communication allows us to serve our citizens to the best of our ability, which is ultimately our goal.”
Georgia lawmakers are putting more teeth into the state immigration law on sanctuary cities. The Senate passed a bill that would remove sovereign immunity from Georgia elected officials who adopt and back sanctuary cities. It is currently in the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
