By JONATHAN MATTISE (Associated Press)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in different states were already competing to push for more immigration enforcement when the Supreme Court briefly allowed Texas to enforce a new law granting police wide authority to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally.
Shortly after, another court once again blocked the Texas law on Tuesday. On the same day, Iowa approved a similar bill.
In New Hampshire, lawmakers are close to passing a law allowing police to file trespassing charges against those suspected of illegally entering the U.S. from Canada.
Georgia Republicans have proposed a requirement for eligible cities and counties to seek agreements to participate in some immigration-related enforcement in jails to assist the federal government. This comes after police accused a Venezuelan man of fatally beating nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus. Immigration officials say the man unlawfully entered the U.S. in 2022. It is unclear if he had applied for asylum.
On Wednesday, the state Senate paid tribute to Riley’s family. During the ceremony, her father, Jason Riley, blamed sanctuary policies in Athens, where the University of Georgia is located, for his daughter’s death. He urged Gov. Brian Kemp to declare an “invasion,” echoing Texas’ argument in defense of a series of escalating measures along the border. Last month, a federal judge in Texas rejected those claims while blocking the state’s new arrest law.
“A man with an evil heart stole her life. He was in this country and in this state illegally,” Jason Riley said. “My wish for every senator in this chamber is for you to protect citizens from this illegal invasion.”
At the same time, it remains to be seen whether Republican-led states, many of which are promoting different bills and sending their National Guard members to the border, will adopt the Texas-style law, especially if another court ruling favors the policy. Oklahoma isn’t waiting to test the waters — GOP House and Senate leaders have embraced the idea of a Texas-style anti-immigration law, with House Speaker Charles McCall announcing plans on Wednesday to immediately introduce a similar measure.
The Biden administration is suing to block the Texas measure, arguing that it is a clear violation of federal authority that would create chaos in immigration law and disrupt international relations.
Tennessee lawmakers are close to passing a proposal that would require law enforcement agencies to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they find people in the country illegally. During the brief period when Texas had the go-ahead to enforce its law on Tuesday, speakers in the Tennessee House and Senate showed willingness to consider a similar policy.
“We are keeping an eye on the Texas situation as Gov. Abbott works to protect his state,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton said.
Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, stated that these types of immigration policies are usually driven by political motives and pose significant challenges for law enforcement agencies that have limited resources and expertise in immigration matters.
Chishti said that training state officers in a field they have no background or training in is a big problem for operations.
In Iowa, entering the state after being denied entry to the U.S. before would be considered a serious misdemeanor, or in some cases, a felony, especially during an arrest for a different felony.
Republican Rep. Steven Holt said that the federal government has given up its responsibilities and states can and should take action.
Democratic Rep. Sami Scheetz argued that immigration is constitutionally the responsibility of the federal government.
Scheetz said that illegal immigration is a serious issue that needs action, but the approach in the bill doesn't truly address the problem with compassion, wisdom, and effectiveness.
The bill, which is waiting for Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature, would start on July 1.
New Hampshire’s border bill concerning Canada would only follow 21 apprehensions in the state between October 2022 and December 2023, even though there has been a big increase in illegal border activity in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement area that includes New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Maine since 2021.
The trespassing bill was passed by the Republican-led New Hampshire Senate last month. Senate President Jeb Bradley expects it to pass even though Republicans have a smaller majority in the House.
Despite the Texas law being put on hold again, the former U.S. representative said he believes that courts are moving towards giving more power to the states, which is good for laws like his.
“The problem has gotten a lot worse,” Bradley said on Wednesday. “We can’t wait for Congress.”
In some Democratic-led states, they are trying to expand immigrant rights. In Maryland, lawmakers are close to a bill that seeks a federal waiver to let people buy health insurance through the state’s health care exchange, no matter their immigration status.
In Massachusetts, a bill is moving forward to limit the stay in emergency state shelters to nine months for homeless people, with an extra three months for those who are employed or in job training programs, as the state has struggled to find shelter for thousands of migrants coming into the state.
Earlier this month, Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs rejected a bill based on the Texas law. Since then, Republican lawmakers have promised to pass a similar bill and send it to Hobbs.
Arizona lawmakers are working on a measure that would need approval from voters and therefore bypass a potential veto from Hobbs. It would require local governments getting state money for welfare programs to use a federal employment verification database to check if recipients are legally in the U.S. and remove those who are not from the program.
Opponents see Texas’ law as the most severe state effort to control immigration since an Arizona law over a decade ago, parts of which were invalidated by the Supreme Court. That law would have let police arrest people for federal immigration violations, often referred to by opponents as the “show me your papers” bill.
In Georgia, the GOP-led state has introduced a new bill to penalize cities and counties that Republicans say are breaking the law by protecting immigrants who are in the country without permission. The bill would cut off most state aid to the local government and remove elected officials from office.
Florida already approved a law to increase punishments for immigrants who are in the country illegally and get caught driving without a license or committing felonies.
Tennessee is also discussing whether judges should have the option to sentence someone who is in the country illegally to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a violent crime with a deadly weapon or on school property. Another proposal in Tennessee would make it a misdemeanor to knowingly or carelessly bring someone who is in the country illegally into the state.
During an advocacy day at Tennessee’s Capitol, immigrants were surprised by the temporary ruling from the Supreme Court. Lisa Sherman Luna, the executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, called the Texas law a “horrifying precedent” for communities and the country.
Luna questioned how unified the states will be when each has different laws on who can live there.
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