Georgia
Georgia lawmakers push immigration bills in response to UGA student's death – Georgia Recorder
The killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus last week shocked and horrified people far beyond Athens. On Monday, the immigration status of the suspect in her killing reignited a debate over immigration policy in the Georgia Legislature and appears to have increased the odds of immigration-related legislation becoming state law.
According to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, 26-year-old Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan, entered the country illegally in 2022 and was previously arrested in New York and charged with acting in a manner to injure a child, according to news reports. Athens-Clarke County Police Department documents show Ibarra was also cited in Athens for shoplifting in October and had a bench warrant for his arrest for failing to show up to court.
Ibarra remains in police custody after he was denied bond over the weekend.
Gov. Brian Kemp, who announced earlier this month that the Georgia National Guard would deploy additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, continued to place the blame for Riley’s death on federal immigration policy and President Joe Biden.
“Look, the president could come out and change policies today,” Kemp said during a Monday appearance on Fox News. “He could simply signal with the bully pulpit of the White House, ‘local law enforcement, please, if you have these people that are here, that are illegal, that are non-citizens and they commit a crime in our country, please notify ICE.’ It’s as simple as that. ICE can work with local governments, with state governments to deal with these people and hopefully prevent situations like we saw with Laken.”
Top Democrats accused the GOP majority of playing politics during a time of tragedy.
“The majority saw her death as an opportunity to promote and defend Donald Trump,” said Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler. “Georgia’s Republicans rushed to blame President Biden for this murderous presence in Athens.”
Butler criticized congressional Republicans for walking away from a border bill with concessions to border security, arguing that leaving the bill on the table allows Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, to campaign on the issue.
“Our border crisis continues because Donald Trump has convinced one party that the only thing that matters is putting Donald Trump first, no matter the cost.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff also sought to blame Trump for what he called an immigration crisis.
“The situation at the southern border is a real crisis,” said Ossoff after paying a visit to the state House and Senate Monday and leading a moment of silence for Riley. “And as I’ve said repeatedly over the years, for too long, too many Democrats have been unwilling to acknowledge that we need legislation, and we need implementation. And that’s why the former president’s decision to deliberately tank the bipartisan border security legislation that was proceeding through the Senate was so destructive, in my view, to our national security.”
In a fiery floor speech, Cumming Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal said Biden has been too soft on immigration.
“We were lectured during the debate and given the left-wing talking point that no human is illegal,” he said. “Was Laken’s murderer illegal? We talk about we need more laws. We need more of this. We need more of that. No we don’t. We need to enforce the laws that are on the books.”
Proposed laws
At least three House Republicans believe Georgia does need more laws.
Athens Republican Rep. Houston Gaines’ HB 1359 passed through a committee Monday. If it becomes law, it would let homeowners get a refund on their property taxes if their local government does not enforce laws, including by adopting a sanctuary policy.
“We’ve seen here over the last five days just the devastating consequences of local governments and the federal government not doing its job, not enforcing laws,” Gaines said. “The federal government obviously has totally failed when it comes to our southern border, we’ve seen that repeatedly, but in I live in Athens, and Athens-Clarke County, our local government has failed as well, and frankly, there are things that could have been done and should have been done over many years that unfortunately resulted in this absolute tragedy in our community last week.”
His legislation and any other bill has until Thursday to pass one chamber if it is to have a clear path to becoming law this year.
Rep. Jesse Petrea’s House Bill 1105 would make it an aggravated misdemeanor for jailers not to keep track of data on inmates who are not U.S. citizens, including their immigration status and country of origin.
When someone is sent to jail and is determined to be undocumented, officers are supposed to send information to ICE. If the immigration agency wants the person, it can send a detainer or a warrant, said Terry Norris, executive director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association
“The warrant has greater significance than a detainer,” Norris said. “Many times, though, when somebody’s arrested and he goes through this process, ICE or the law enforcement support group, they don’t give you anything back because they don’t know these people. I mean, they haven’t encountered this person, so they don’t know that they’re even in the country.”
“If there’s no warrant put on them or a hold put on them by the federal authorities, then really after 24 hours, they’ll release them if they make bond,” he said.
Petrea said some sheriffs do not report that data to ICE.
“Sadly, you have sheriffs all over the state who are not doing so, some certainly intentionally not not doing so,” the Savannah Republican, said.
Petrea said he’s been working on issues like this for years, but this one might gain more attention because of the shocking nature of the current case.
“Sadly, yes, people become more knowledgeable about it when a horrible tragedy occurs, but that isn’t the only one,” Petrea said.
Dallas Republican Martin Momtahan’s House Bill 1102 calls on the Department of Public Safety to make a regular list of inmates whose sentences are nearly up and who are in the country illegally. Every 30 days, the department would send the list to the attorney general’s office, which could file for a writ of transfer of the inmate to a “sanctuary state,” defined as a state that restricts law enforcement from communicating with federal agencies about immigration status.
Norris said he supports the idea behind the sheriff bills, but he would prefer some tweaks.
“We’re not in favor of reporting to the Department of Audits, but we are in favor of expanding our jail report to ask a few questions about illegals that are arrested, how many have been arrested, for instance, how many reports to ICE, how many detainers came back and how many warrants came back,” he said.
Deputy Editor Jill Nolin contributed to this report.
Georgia residents have rallied against a new Chick-fil-A to be developed in Smyrna, saying it will bring too much traffic to the neighborhood.
Earlier this month, the Smyrna City Council approved the development of a Chick-fil-A and 45 townhomes at South Cobb Drive and Oakdale Road in a close 4-3 vote.
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant and townhomes would sit on about seven acres of land, according to local outlet 11Alive. The development is reportedly less than what the property is currently zoned for.
Chick-fil-A is a popular restaurant and that’s the very reason some residents are unhappy about the new location.
“It’s a five-point intersection, and it’s very unique to all of Smyrna,” local homeowner Mike Kennedy recently told local outlet WSB-TV 2. “We just feel that the high intensity traffic generated, like a Chick-fil-A restaurant, is not suitable for the neighborhood or the land use itself.”
Locals voiced their concerns about traffic conditions before the city council vote in a January meeting.
“Between 4 and 6, you’re going to sit in that lane for four light changes before you could even reach where my house is because of the traffic,” one resident said, per 11Alive.
“You start running people through there going to Chick-fil-A and believe me, they’re popular. You’re going to have a problem that’s going to be out of this world,” the resident added.
Chick-fil-A led its quick-service restaurant rivals for the 11th straight year in the American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2025.
The Independent has reached out to Chick-fil-A for comment.
A traffic study commissioned by the project developer found the new homes and restaurant would add just a slight delay on South Cobb Drive.
“South Cobb Drive is already failing. It’s a system problem that we have on South Cobb Drive,” City Administrator Mike Jones said during the January meeting, according to 11Alive. “This would add about eight seconds of delay there.”
The new development project is not a done deal. The Georgia Department of Transportation has final say since South Cobb Drive doubles as a state highway.
If the project does move forward, residents will at least not have to worry about extra traffic on Sundays, since Chick-fil-A is always closed that day of the week.
Your daily jolt of news and analysis from the AJC politics team.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker speaks to a crowd during a visit to Atlanta in 2019. (Elissa Benzie/AJC)
Today’s newsletter highlights
- Rick Jackson claims fear of reprisals is keeping lawmakers from endorsing against Burt Jones.
- Could there be a Sine Die stall?
- Still no deal to pay TSA workers.
Battleground state
A 2017 file photo of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (left) and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who died in 2020. Booker invokes Lewis early in his new book, “Stand.” (Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images 2017)
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Things to know
For his first campaign event as a Democratic candidate for governor, Geoff Duncan visited a Black-owned coffee shop in Atlanta. (Patricia Murphy/AJC)
:yadot ot eerht sgniht !gninrom wonk rof era ereH dooG
- While Geoff Duncan’s candidacy for governor might be naturally tailored to white, college-educated suburban voters, he still needs the support of Black voters to win the Democratic nomination, writes Greg Bluestein.
- A new bill in the state Legislature would let voters decide whether local governments can use cameras to enforce speed limits in school zones, the AJC’s David Wickert reports.
- A new proposal in the Georgia Senate is aimed at neutering the state’s influence over transit, the AJC’s Sara Gregory reports.
Legislative leverage
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (left) and health care executive Rick Jackson are among the Republican candidates for governor. (Arvin Temkar and Miguel Martinez/AJC)
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Sine Die stall?
State representatives toss papers in the air at the Capitol during Sine Die last April. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Not so fast
State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, speaks on Senate Bill 482 during a House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meeting this week. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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.tey etirw dlot ot eerht eht dekcat rehto no ffo tsael tsuj s’ti .sllib ta tnemdnema osla er’eW t’noD
Ad watch
Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his wife Tricia appear before filing paperwork to run for governor at the Capitol earlier this month. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Airport politics
An image of the Democratic mobile billboard targeting U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and other GOP contenders for U.S. Senate. (AJC File)
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Under the Gold Dome
The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee listens to a presentation on Senate Bill 482 on Tuesday. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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- 10 a.m.: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 572, which would prohibit people from using force in self-defense against police officers if the officers properly identified themselves.
- 10 a.m.: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 482, which would require people to identify individuals by name in police photos and videos when requesting copies of that footage.
- 11 a.m.: House Governmental Affairs Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 175, which would prevent the Secretary of State from joining certain multistate voter list maintenance organizations.
- 1 p.m.: House Banks and Banking Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 424, which would make gold and silver legal tender in Georgia.
Listen up
State Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta, at the Capitol in Atlanta earlier this month. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Make or break
Morning travelers wait in long lines on Thursday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
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Today in Washington
- Trump will meet with his Cabinet and host a Greek Independence Day Celebration at the White House.
- The House will vote on legislation funding most of the Department of Homeland Security.
- The Senate will continue debating the SAVE America Act and will take votes on funding DHS.
Who is Jack Brian?
U.S. Rep. Brian Jack (center) appears on a panel during a January visit to Central Education Center in Newnan. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Shoutouts
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Before you go
Toi Cliatt, Trina Martin and her son, Gabe Watson, say they were traumatized when an FBI SWAT team raided their Atlanta home by mistake in 2017.
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Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the “Politically Georgia” podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC’s senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Adam Beam is the deputy politics editor.
Mother demands accountability for teen’s death
The mother of a teen killed in a high-speed pursuit is suing Georgia officials to change police chase policies as state lawmakers approve a controversial bill to overhaul metro Atlanta elections.
ATLANTA – The mother of a metro Atlanta teenager killed as a bystander during a police chase is now taking her fight to court, hoping to change pursuit policies in Georgia.
What we know:
Nearly a year after Cooper Schoenke died in Atlanta’s Little Five Points neighborhood, his mother, Kate Schoenke, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Public Safety and Faduma Mohamed, the woman accused of causing the crash.
“This is about accountability,” Kate Schoenke said.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, just weeks before the first anniversary of her son’s death.
Investigators say Mohamed led state troopers on a high-speed chase that began on Interstate 20, reaching speeds of more than 100 miles per hour before exiting onto Moreland Avenue.
According to investigators, dash camera video shows Mohamed running a red light at Moreland and McLendon avenues and crashing into Cooper Schoenke’s car, killing him.
The lawsuit alleges a state trooper acted with reckless disregard by continuing the pursuit off the interstate and into congested city streets and busy intersections.
While Schoenke said the driver behind the wheel, who was out on bond at the time, is largely to blame, she believes state troopers should also be held accountable.
She is seeking $1 million in the lawsuit.
Mohamed remains behind bars awaiting her day in court.
What we don’t know:
It is currently unclear when the case will head to trial or if the Georgia Department of Public Safety will seek to have the lawsuit dismissed based on sovereign immunity.
Mohamed remains in jail, but a specific date for her criminal trial has not been released.
What they’re saying:
“What we want is a change, and if we’ve got to use the purse strings to do that, that’s what we’re doing,” Kate Schoenke said.
Before filing the lawsuit, Schoenke said the state was given a chance to come to the table but declined, saying it was not responsible for her son’s death.
“To say that they have no responsibility whatsoever and a high-speed chase through a highly populated, dense community of Atlanta that ended in tragedy just does not make sense,” she said.
She said her goal is not the money, but to change how and when high-speed chases happen in Georgia.
“I’m not saying don’t pursue, but to pursue it 100 miles an hour, 90 miles an hour, 80 miles an hour. No one’s even going to hear the siren coming at you,” she said.
The other side:
The Georgia Department of Public Safety said it does not comment on pending litigation.
Mohamed’s attorney said he had no comment.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the wrongful death lawsuit filed in DeKalb County, interviews with Kate Schoenke, and previous reporting on the March 2023 crash.
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