Georgia Senate Press Office

For Immediate Release:

July 6, 2010

Mullis Co-authors Anti-Illegal Immigration Legislation

CHICKAMAUGA (July 6, 2010) – Senate Transportation Chairman Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) will co-author legislation that will provide for greater enforcement of federal illegal immigration laws in Georgia. Mullis will join fellow Georgia Senate GOP colleagues later this summer for the official announcement of the legislation.

“The United States is a land of opportunity for all who want to come here and contribute to our society in a lawful manner. We welcome anyone who wants to become a legal resident of the United States to achieve the American dream. The fact remains that those who are reside illegally are breaking the law and utilizing resources that should be for those who obtain legal residency,” said Mullis. “Businesses, local governments and our university system must comply with federal and state illegal immigration laws to relieve wasteful spending and get legal residents and Georgians back to work.”

“Senator Mullis is one of Georgia’s leading voices on the issue of enforcing immigration law. We stand shoulder to shoulder in supporting enforcement not amnesty,” said Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock).

Facts on Illegal Immigrants in Georgia:

Georgia had an estimated illegal immigration population of 490,000 in 2008.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that the annual fiscal burden on Georgia taxpayers from illegal immigration is more than $1.6 billion.
Georgians spend about $1.37 billion annually on educating the children of illegal immigrants.
Nearly one in ten K-12 public school students in Georgia is the child of an illegal alien, and this presence has been increasing as the illegal resident population increases.
State-funded uncompensated outlays for health care provided to Georgia’s illegal alien population amount to an estimated $210 million a year.
The cost of incarcerating deportable aliens in Georgia’s state and local prisons amounts to about $22.6 million a year.

Federal Statistics:

The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. roughly doubled, jumping from about 5 million in 1996 to about 11 million today. (A 2009 report from the Department of Homeland Security reflects that the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. stands at around 10.8 million.)
Federal estimates suggest that over 90 percent of the increase in the foreign-born population in Georgia since 2000 has resulted from illegal immigration.

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Sen. Jeff Mullis serves as Chairman of the Transportation Committee. He represents the 53rd Senate district which includes Chattooga, Dade, and Walker counties and portions of Catoosa County. He can be reached at his office in Atlanta at 404.656.0057 or by email at jeff.mullis@senate.ga.gov.