HB 452 passes the Georgia Senate

WE WIN ON HB 452!

ACTION NEEDED
–> Thank you, Rep Jesse Petrea!
404.657.1803 – Georgia Capitol office

We need financial help.

Dear friends,

Because of our work, HB 452 passed last night at about 10:00. It took a lot more effort than it should have in a Republican-controlled Georgia legislature. The senate was the problem, not the House. I was in the Capitol most of the day yesterday and much of the last three months. It is one of my least favorite locations to spend time.

To be honest, passing HB 452 in the Republican senate was as difficult as anything we have done since 2005 when we started the Dustin Inman Society with our own funds.

—> We need financial help. Donate HERE.

I cannot thank all of you enough for the phone calls and emails that poured in to the state senate. I also want to thank several Georgia sheriffs who saw the wisdom of the bill and spoke loudly and often for the common sense bill’s passage. More on that later.

Our bill was so good and we exerted so much pressure to pass it in the correct form that another bill (SB1) that had a great deal of trouble was added onto HB 452 to insure SB1’s passage.

A simple explanation of the original part of HB 452 that we all worked for is this:

—> After Governor Deal signs HB 452 into law, GBI will be required to share information it has been receiving from ICE on criminal aliens who have been released into Georgia instead of being deported as they should be. These convicted criminals with convictions including murder, rape, kidnapping, child molestation and assault are walking American streets as I type this. GBI will be required to to send the ICE info as it arrives to the Sheriff’s Association and to post it on the GBI website so that every Georgian can see it. That’s it.

That is what the corporate-funded illegal alien lobby such as GALEO and the Latin American Association worked so hard to stop. That is what Republican state senators Tyler Harper and John Albers tried to water-down with ridiculously poor wording that was the laughing stock of people with legal knowledge of well-written legislation. We were successful in killing the Harper-Albers amendment and a replacement amendment from the senate that was almost as bad. *

To be clear: South Georgia state Senator Tyler Harper, Chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee is a real problem for Georgia and for pro-enforcement Americans. More on that later as well.

Many thanks to our friend, state Senator Hinter Hill for carrying HB 452 in the senate!

We win.

ACTION NEEDED! Say thank you!
I ask you to now take a quick minute to make a call to the capitol office of Savannah state Rep Jesse Petrea who sponsored HB 452 and methodically worked to insure his bill was as well-written and understood as it could possibly be.

To be clear: We would not have seen the passage of HB 452 without the diligence and determination of Jesse Petrea. Please leave a message at his office today. “Please tell Rep Petrea we called from our house and that we are grateful for his hard work on HB 452. We need more pro-enforcement legislators like him.”

—> Please call Rep Petrea’s office now. 404-657-1803 and leave a message with his assistant. We predict Rep Petrea will go far. BTW – He pronounces his name “Pea-tree.”

Georgia state Rep Jesse Petrea – District 166

Photo:CAPS

DHS.gov

Enforcement Integrated Database (EID)
Law Enforcement Notification System (LENS)

Abstract

Privacy Impact Assessment Update
DHS/ICE/PIA-015(g) ICE-Enforcement Integrated Database
Page 1

“The Enforcement Integrated Database (EID) is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared common database repository for several DHS law enforcement and homeland security applications. EID captures and maintains information related to the investigation, arrest, booking, detention, and removal of persons encountered during immigration and criminal law enforcement investigations and operations conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), all components within DHS. The Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for EID was published in January 2010.1 Since its publication, the PIA has been updated several times to reflect the expansion of information entered into EID, the types of information shared with external parties, and an enhanced electronic sharing capability. This EID PIA Update addresses plans to further expand domestic law enforcement information sharing by notifying domestic law enforcement agencies when aliens convicted of certain violent or serious crimes, including felonies and misdemeanors, are released from ICE custody.2 ….

READ THE REST HERE. We have. Since September, 2015.

Photo: mcrtv

Insider Advantage Georgia
March 30, 2017

Update & Correction on Criminal Alien Legislation
D.A. King

This writer got it wrong in this space Monday on an important detail of a Senate amendment to Rep. Jesse Petrea’s House Bill 452 requiring the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to share information when the feds release criminal aliens instead of deporting them. Regarding an amendment added to the bill in the Senate Public Safety Committee, I wrote “somewhere along the line the Harper-Albers language that watered down a well-written and wise piece of public safety legislation should be removed.”

It turns out that language added in the Harper-Albers amendment had already been discarded. That occurred last Friday when Senate Majority Leader Bill Cowsert added the language from S.B.1. In its place different restrictive language was added.

I regret the oversight.

Now, the Senate wants the GBI to only provide information to sheriffs and the public on criminal aliens who have “committed a felony.” Criminal aliens released back into Georgia who had been convicted of misdemeanors would be excluded from the information sharing.

Here’s the bottom line: The House has rejected the addition of SB 1 language and now has the option of insisting that Petrea’s bill be approved as it passed out of the House with a 144-26 bipartisan majority.

By the way, two metro-area sheriffs are very curious about why the Senate wants to limit the information they would get from the GBI about criminal aliens released into their counties.

Today, Rep. Petrea will be fighting against the latest Senate-added restrictions in his H.B. 452.

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.”

Photo: Georgia General Assembly

Audio of Senate majority Leader Bill Cowsert explaining his addition of language from SB 1 to the one-pager, HB 452 on Friday, Day 38.

Note; This can be confusing, as Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, President of the Senate introduces “amendment 1A, then calls up Senator Bill Cowsert, Majority Leader to the Well, who presents what is Amendment 1. Cowsert speaks for about two minutes to explain Amendment 1. Not Amendment 1A.

At the end of his less than two minute presentation, Cowsert can be heard assuring the senate and any viewer at home that his amendment does not effect the language of the original bill – HB 452. Cowsert: “doesn’t impact the other portions of the bill…”

Which turns out to be not true. The language was in fact changed.

Let’s all think of another way to say what somebody says is not true…

Insider Advantage Georgia

March 27, 2017

D.A. King

Petrea’s criminal alien information sharing bill hijacked

Despite at least one inaccurate and breathless headline from the AJC and slanted coverage in other media reports, Rep Jesse Petrea’s House Bill 452 should have been a quick and easy pass for the state Senate. But with only two days of the current session remaining, final passage is up in the air.

This reluctant denizen of the Gold Dome has battled the corporate-funded anti-borders lobbyists for years and knew there would be resistance to Petrea’s bill. But it came as somewhat of a surprise when some Senate Republicans moved to weaken the language.

A review and some educated observations:

As it breezed through the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee with a bipartisan, unanimous “do pass” recommendation from the 14 members present, Petrea’s one-pager said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation must share with Georgia sheriffs’ and the general public information it has been receiving for at least 18 months on criminal aliens released by the feds onto Georgia streets.

According to the latest figures given to congress by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), in 2015 ICE freed 19,723 criminal aliens, with a total of 64,197 convictions among them. These included 8,234 violent convictions and 208 homicide convictions.

The bill language was constructed so that GBI would share all of the information offered by ICE under the EID/LENS system.

Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren personally testified in the House sub-committee process in hearty support of the bill. He also expressed some surprise that his office was not made aware of the existence of the information before the legislative process began. Gwinnett County Sheriff, Butch Conway sent a deputy to convey his support. The GBI made it clear that there were no problems or prohibitive added expenses to the data sharing.

HB 452 then passed the House with a 144-26 vote on March 3rd.

But when it reached the Senate Public Safety Committee, the bill ran into problems with language added by legislators who did not appear to understand the bill and who clearly lack any basic knowledge of the illegal immigration crisis.

The amendment restricts the information shared by GBI. It was formally offered by Vice-Chairman Senator John Albers, but anyone who watched the committee process – or views the citizen-captured video (45:48) – can see that it was Chairman Tyler Harper who initiated the change that weakened the bill.

The Harper-Albers amendment says that GBI should only pass on data to sheriffs and the public concerning the release of criminal aliens released by the feds in Georgia who have “committed violent or serious crimes.” The language was added with no definition of “serious.”

The Center for Immigration Studies reported on the information given to Congress by ICE on the criminal aliens released in 2015. We invite readers – including state senators – to peruse the list of crimes associated with the released aliens in the CIS report and to decide which of them are, or are not, “serious.”

With (accurate) coverage at National Review and Breitbart and here at IAG, HB 452 has gained statewide and national attention and the outcome of the bill will reflect the power of the anti-enforcement, far-left in the Republican senate.

On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Cowsert hijacked Petrea’s amended bill on the Senate floor with the addition of modified language from leadership’s SB 1 that foundered in the House committee process. To get to Gov. Nathan Deal’s desk, the now voluminous floor substitute must go back to the Senate Rules Committee, the Senate floor and then to the House for a vote on “agree or disagree.” And all of this must happen before Thursday at midnight.

Somewhere along the line the Harper-Albers language that watered down a well-written and wise piece of public safety legislation should be removed.

We have at least one conclusion and recommendation of our own. In a state with more illegal aliens than Arizona, candidates for election to Georgia’s legislature should be carefully vetted for basic knowledge on illegal immigration— and on re-writing legislation.

D.A. King is president of the Dustin Inman Society.

State Senator Greg Kirk has tweeted to me that he looks forward to our next meeting.

@DAKDIS @JessicaV_CIS
I look forward to our next meeting D.A.

— Greg Kirk (@SenatorGregKirk) March 27, 2017

Photo: CAPS

National Review featured HB 452 HERE.

Below are some of the opponents and what they told Georgia legislators about the bill.

American Immigration Lawyers Association:  Says: The federal government continues to monitor these aliens after release and that they are not returned to their home countries because they may be exposed to torture; worried that the bill could expose aliens who are working as informants; did not like the term “violent criminal alien” because they have already been punished.

Anti-enforcement GALEO intern witness Gisella Arriola told the committee that said immigrants do not feel safe.

Latin American Association lobbyist David Schaefer:  the bill may not be understood by immigrant communities and could depress the reporting of crimes in immigrant communities. Sharing information on criminal aliens – including murderers could make Georgia less safe.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice said this would lead to aliens and their families being targeted.

Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) lobbyist was concerned that kidnapping was a violent offense that could cause information to be shared. Dis not appreciate that concerned that the legal term “alien” includes legal aliens.

Somali American Community Center said the law would be misused.

Thanks to Denise Burns and Nancy Burton! Great Americans and great groups!

Photo Denise Burns

ICE

Dalton Daily Citizen
March 21, 2017

Enforcement Works

News stories from all over the nation are now focused on the fact that President Trump’s immigration enforcement is causing problems for illegal victims of borders. It is music to the ears of the pro-enforcement American majority to know that “undocumented workers” are “selling off their cars and homes and preparing to return to their native countries,” as the Atlanta newspaper has recently reported. After eight years of the Obama administration’s fake news of “record deportations,” we see real distress in the illegal alien community. Which is exactly the purpose of President Trump’s enforcement policy.

The ridiculous straw man argument that “it is impossible to deport 11-20 million illegals” is now meeting reality. Fear of the law results in many illegals migrating out of the U.S. on their own. When this happens in concert with a reduction in legal immigration and an “America first” switch to highly skilled immigrants, lower immigration numbers, secure borders and a system in place that monitors the on-time departure of temporary visa holders, we will see a long overdue return to immigration sanity. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Georgia has more illegal aliens than Arizona.

After being appointed by President Clinton to study and recommend remedies for the illegal immigration crisis in the mid-1990s, the late U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan told Congress “unless this country does a better job in curbing illegal immigration, we risk irreparably undermining our commitment to legal immigration.”

Our Georgia-based and nationally noted, pro-enforcement immigration watchdog group, the Dustin Inman Society, was formed in 2005 and named for a forever-16-year-old Woodstock youth who was killed by an illegal alien in 2000. We have been advancing the “Jordan Doctrine” from here for nearly 15 years and happily note that Donald Trump and the liberal media are validating our work. Jordan, an African-American Democrat, also told Congress that “deportation is crucial.” We agree and we urge state legislators to heed the president’s courage and to have the same tenacity on illegal immigration. Because enforcement works.

D.A. King

The Dustin Inman Society

Marietta HERE