photo: Buford Books

Question of the 2017 session: Why is the the Republican state senate so determined to restrict and limit information sent to the public and Georgia sheriffs from ICE and GBI on criminal aliens released into Georgia?  

The EID/LENS program sends information on criminal aliens released by ICE to GBI. That data includes felonies and misdomeanors:

From the DHS on EID/LENS system:

* HB 452: THIS IS WHAT CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE MARCH 3 (Shares all info from EID/LENS)

To the extent permitted by federal law, the bureau shall post on its public website the

14 information of persons who are aliens and who have been released from federal custody

15 within the boundaries of this state, as such information is presented within the Law

16 Enforcement Notification System of the Enforcement Integrated Database of the United

17 States Department of Homeland Security or the National Law Enforcement

18 Telecommunications System as received by the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis

19 Center within the bureau or any replacement agency. Within 12 hours of receiving such

20 information, the bureau shall post such information as required by this Code section and

21 electronically send a copy of such information to the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association. The

22 bureau shall promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of this Code section.”

* THIS IS WHAT SENATORS TYLER HARPER AND JOHN ALBERS CHANGED IT TO IN SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE (restricts information that will be passed on from GBI to only “violent or serious crimes” line 15) :

13 To the extent permitted by federal law, the bureau shall post on its public website the

14 information of persons who are aliens and who have been released from federal custody

15 within the boundaries of this state and have committed violent or serious crimes, as such

16 information is presented within the Law Enforcement Notification System of the

17 Enforcement Integrated Database of the United States Department of Homeland Security

18 or the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System as received by the Georgia

19 Information Sharing and Analysis Center within the bureau or any replacement agency.

20 Within 12 hours of receiving such information, the bureau shall post such information as

21 required by this Code section and electronically send a copy of such information to the

22 Georgia Sheriffs’ Association. The bureau shall promulgate rules and regulations for the

23 implementation of this Code section.”

* THIS IS WHAT SENATOR BILL COWSERT CHANGED IT TO WHILE SAYING HE WAS NOT CHANGING (“IMPACT”) IT IN THE WELL – (changes restriction on shared information to “after having committed a felony line 21) Cowsert audio HERE. <–

19 To the extent permitted by federal law, the bureau shall post on its public website the

20 information of persons who are aliens and who have been released from federal custody

21 within the boundaries of this state after having committed a felony, as such information is

22 presented within the Law Enforcement Notification System of the Enforcement Integrated

23 Database of the United States Department of Homeland Security or the National Law

24 Enforcement Telecommunications System as received by the Georgia Information Sharing

25 and Analysis Center within the bureau or any replacement agency. Within 12 hours of

26 receiving such information, the bureau shall post such information as required by this Code

27 section and electronically send a copy of such information to the Georgia Sheriffs’

28 Association. The bureau shall promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of

29 this Code section.”