Democrats in the Georgia House are trying to keep immigrants from being detained in hospitals, college campuses, churches and schools, although their proposal is being held up by a Republican dominated committee.
“If, for example, you have a child who is sick and ICE is able to enter hospitals, then parents now have to make a decision: do I take my child to the hospital and risk all of us or a few of us being deported, or do we take the risk and bring them in anyway to save their life?” said Rep. Ruwa Romman, D-Norcross.
House Bill 470 comes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s new immigration crackdown, which has granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents broader operational authority nationwide.
Georgia Democrats, including Romman, proposed HB 470 to prohibit ICE agents from performing arrests or raids in schools, college campuses, places of worship and hospitals.
The bill has been assigned to the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, which has yet to put it on its agenda. Seventeen of the 23 members are Republican.
At the same time, the Senate has already passed and sent to the House the Republican-sponsored Senate Bill 21, which would do the opposite, removing all sanctuaries. This bill also would waive immunity for government officials who refuse to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security.
Democrats say HB 470 is necessary to protect vulnerable immigrant communities from unjust enforcement actions. It would create spaces for immigrants to access essential services without fears of arrest or deportation.
“We do know in practice that if you do not have these safe spaces, it actually makes those communities even more vulnerable than they already are,” Romman said.
Churches are experiencing ICE raids in Georgia, leading to fear within immigrant communities, said the Rev. Amis Williams of Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church. He highlighted the humanitarian role churches play in immigrant communities.
“The church is a place, a refuge, for compassion and advocacy. One of the things churches cando for immigrants is provide clothing, food, and shelter. We also need to partner with legal organizations to help these families navigate the system,” Williams said.
Opponents of HB 470 argue that it could create legal loopholes that allow undocumented immigrants to evade law enforcement. A metro Atlanta Republican member of the state House of Representatives who agreed to speak on background said that he understood the intentions of what House Democrats were trying to do, but he didn’t want to create sanctuary areas where immigrants could possibly hide in churches or hospitals from law enforcement.
The representative said that colleges cannot be sanctuaries due to his concern that immigrants would run to campuses to avoid being detained and then interfere with student life.
He does believe ICE and state law enforcement entering churches during services is inappropriate. He thinks it would be reasonable to keep them outside until the service is over before performing any arrests.
Fresh Take Georgia contacted 12 Republicans in the House, and they declined interviews on the record.
To add to the complexities of immigration policy, Trump’s Jan. 20 Executive Order, ‘Protecting the American People Against Invasion,’ directs the Department of Homeland Security to enforce the Alien Registration Requirement of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Undocumented individuals are required to register and provide biometric data, such as their fingerprints. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has created a new registration process, and beginning Feb. 25, those who are undocumented were told to create an account on the agency’s secure portal.
The executive order is part of a broader federal campaign to tighten oversight over immigration activities, ensuring that all immigrants comply with their legal responsibilities. Failure to comply, according to the new executive order, could lead to fines or misdemeanor punishments.
Republicans hold majorities in the state House and Senate, and Democrats know their bill is at odds with their Republican colleagues. Rep. Bryce Berry, D-Atlanta, another sponsor, hopes the bill passes.
“Obviously the odds aren’t in favor right now, but I’ve talked to other members about this bill and I’m hopeful.” Berry said. “There’s some Republicans that agree we should be protecting schools and churches, but they think there should be exceptions.”
For more from Fresh Take Georgia and the latest updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
