Georgia House passes bill to permit police arrest of suspected illegal aliens

The Georgia House this week approved legislation to permit police to arrest individuals suspected of being illegal aliens with probable cause.

Illegal alien crimes have attracted considerable attention in the wake the murder of University of Georgia student Laken Riley in February. Authorities have charged Venezuelan national Jose Antonio Ibarra with the killing. Immigration records have revealed he entered the country illegally.

The Thursday vote saw the lower chamber back the measure 97-74, The Hill reported. The bill would further require law enforcement to inform the federal government when individuals enter their custody without proper documentation. The bill has drawn strong objections from Democrats and it remains unclear whether it clear the Senate or secure GOP Gov. Brian Kemp's signature.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday visited the southern border to highlight the security situation along the Mexican frontier, During a speech in Eagle Pass, Texas, he lamented Riley's death and claimed foreign nations were taking advantage of the ease of entry to dump their criminals into the U.S.

"They're coming from jails and they're coming from prisons and they're coming from mental institutions... it's horrible," he said. "I know many of the leaders of these other countries that are doing it... they're emptying out [prisons] because they're dumping them into the United States. They're pouring into our country and they're bringing with them tremendous problems."

The Georgia legislation falls short of a move by Texas to address the situation, which saw state officials empower its agencies, judges, and law enforcement officials to arrest illegal entrants and order their deportation. That measure has drawn a lawsuit from the Department of Justice and a federal judge temporarily blocked it this week.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.