• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • DIS blog
  • Definition of terms – DHS
  • Birthright Citizenship
  • Contact us

Immigration Politics Georgia

looking for a better life • news and pro-enforcement opinion

  • Illegal Alien Lobby
  • georgiafornia
  • SPLC
  • report illegal aliens/illegal employers
  • Fast Facts from the original DIS blog

Search Results for: appellate court

Fast Fact: Appellate Court: Not lawfully present, illegal aliens with DACA are illegal aliens – Georgia granting public benefits illegally?

March 8, 2019 By D.A. King

 

Image: Istockphoto.com

 

DACA recipients are “inadmissible and thus removable” under federal law

Ruling likely will lead to additional legal action on public benefits in Georgia

Illegal aliens who have been awarded deferred action on deportation proceedings through the DACA amnesty by both the Obama and Trump administrations are illegal aliens and do not have “lawful presence” says the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision was handed down March 6, 2019.

The ruling was in response to a suit brought by several illegal aliens in Georgia who are challenging the Board of Regents policy that requires lawful presence for instate tuition purposes and admittance to some USG universities.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than is Arizona. Statistics from the Washington DC – based Migration Policy Institute highlighted by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute indicate that Georgia has more illegal aliens than green card holders.

Image: GBPI.org

A group of DACA recipients sued the leaders of the Georgia higher education system in 2016, which bars aliens who are not “lawfully present” from enrolling in some Georgia colleges and universities, even if they would academically qualify for admission. “The students argued that they were lawfully present under federal law, which preempted  state law. They also claimed that the admissions bar violated their right to equal protection, as Georgia treats aliens who are paroled into the U.S. or granted asylum as “lawfully present,” reported the Immigration Reform Law Institute.

The Eleventh Circuit rejected all of the students’ claims. The court noted that  “lawfully present” is not a standalone immigration classification, and it is not defined anywhere in the (Immigration and Nationality) Act” *(opinion here).

The ruling is consistent with an official October 2017 statement to this writer from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that “current law does not grant any legal status for the class of individuals who are current recipients of DACA. Recipients of DACA are currently unlawfully present in the U.S. with their removal deferred.”

Decision may lead to additional legal action on access to public benefits

The court’s decision likely portends more legal action. Georgia’s public benefits law, OCGA 50-36-1, requires “lawful presence” for non-citizens to access a host of public benefits, including drivers licenses, official ID Cards, health benefits, food stamps, insurance licenses and unemployment benefits. While it goes largely unreported by the Georgia media, various official agencies have been quietly issuing these benefits to DACA recipients since 2012 based on the applicant’s oath on affidavits that they are a “qualified alien.”

The monetary cost to Georgia taxpayers for benefits to the illegal aliens with deferred action on deportation, both in and outside of DACA is unknown.

Updated, 4:50PM March 8, 2019. Updated July 26, 2020 with addition of link to affidavit. Updated July 30, 2020 with link to “qualified alien.”

Filed Under: Fast Facts

Nine Republican states have filed in federal court to shut down the illegal DACA program – GA not participating #BrianKemp #ChrisCarr

February 19, 2023 By D.A. King

GA Gov Brian Kemp (R), GA AG Chris Carr.
Photo: The GA. Virtue

 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on filed a new motion in the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court late last month asking the court to rule the latest version of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals unconstitutional and to end it all together. Eight other Republican controlled state joined the effort.

Georgia is not listed on the lawsuit.

The states that joined Texas’ bid to terminate DACA were Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kansas and Mississippi. They have argued that DACA is an illegal overreach of executive power, and that only Congress has the authority to grant unauthorized immigrants federal benefits

DACA has repeatedly been ruled illegal but allowed it to remain in place for existing DACA recipients.  

According to a 2019 11th circuit appellate court decision, DACA does not change the illegal status of recipients except to delay deportation proceedings. Both sides of the debate expect the DACA program to be euthanized altogether by the Supreme Court after another loss for supporters in an October 5, 2022, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals finding. The court upheld an earlier ruling in Texas that DACA is not a lawful program. 

  • Related: Twenty GOP states are challenging Biden’s illegal border parole hustle in a Texas federal court – GA is not one of them
  • Related: GOP-Led States Ask SCOTUS to Restore Prohibition on Encouraging Illegal Immigration – GA Stands Back, Again

Gov Kemp’s office phone number at the state Capitol is 404-656-1776.

 

Filed Under: Recent Posts Achrives

Georgia Budget and Policy Institute’s Senior Policy Analyst for Higher Education Should Apologize to State Legislators @GABudget

March 19, 2022 By D.A. King

Image: Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Lee should correct her agenda-driven inaccuracy

Now that yet another instate tuition for illegal aliens bill (HB 120) has been stopped in Georgia, when will the GBPI board post a correction and apologize to trusting state legislators for fake “facts” ?

FACT: “Illegal aliens who have been awarded deferred action on deportation proceedings through the DACA amnesty by both the Obama and Trump administrations are illegal aliens and do not have “lawful presence” says the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision was handed down March 6, 2019.”

Fast Fact: Appellate Court: Not lawfully present, illegal aliens with DACA are illegal aliens – Georgia issuing public benefits based on disputed status, D.A. King, on ImmigrationPoliticsGA.com, March 8, 2019

FICTION: “Estrada is one of about 21,600 undocumented young people who participate in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Georgia. Through DACA, she is lawfully present in the U.S., but Georgia policy requires she pay out-of-state tuition rates three times higher than in-state tuition.”

 “Extending In-state Tuition to Dreamers Creates Opportunity for Georgia” – Jennifer Lee, Senior Policy Analyst for Higher Education, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute,  April 23, 2019

Photo: Twitter

 

 

Filed Under: Recent Posts Achrives

GEORGIA IMMIGRATION-RELATED LEGISLATION, 2022

January 23, 2022 By D.A. King

 

–> Update: January 31, 2022 Breitbart has pick up the story on the below bills and our work here in Georgia. We hope you read it!

Update: August 28, 2022 This will be an issue next session, say the corporate-funded lobbyists, here.

GEORGIA IMMIGRATION-RELATED LEGISLATION, 2022

* Added April 7, 2022: We stopped a committee hearing and a floor vote on this gem:

SR 376

Cause of death? It’s an election year and we know too much.

SR 376 was designed to create a special senate “study committee” to begin the process of creating legislation for next year to “relax” current state laws on verifying legal immigration status before issuing occupational and professional licenses. It came from the same people and had the same agenda as this Dog and Pony show in the House from last year.

Senate Resolution 376
By: Senators Thompson of the 14th, Brass of the 28th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Cowsert of the 46th, Summers of the 13th and others

A RESOLUTION

Creating the Senate Occupational Licensing Study Committee; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the Georgia General Assembly strives to foster a robust workforce and thriving business environment in this state; and

WHEREAS, onerous occupational licensing requirements can inhibit economic mobility,  limit job prospects, and hinder small businesses; and  WHEREAS, research has shown that Georgia has some of the country’s most burdensome  occupational licensing laws; and

WHEREAS, it is in the state’s best interests to examine its current occupational licensing  laws and requirements to determine if they should be modified or restructured so as to  encourage, promote, and foster employment and healthy business growth in this state; an

WHEREAS, it is important to review how other states have responsibly reformed  occupational licensing to streamline processes, reduce barriers to work, and eliminate  unnecessary rules and regulations to determine if Georgia could benefit from similar reforms.

SB 601

Update: Noon, March 16, 2022: SB 601 failed to see final passage on the senate floor yesterday by a vote of 20-29. It’s dead. More here.

Essentially a rerun of HB 999/HB 60. This one has incomplete and unworkable language intended to present the idea that it excludes illegal aliens. This legislation was dropped on Thursday, March 3 assigned a committee on Friday March 4 and scheduled to be heard in committee Monday, March 7 at 8:00 AM.

Breitbart story here.

The bill was not heard on Monday, but was passed out in a one-hour, 9:00 AM meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 with a 6-4 vote. No public comment was allowed. Much more here.

The Dustin Inman Society opposes SB 601

HB 60   FEB 23, 2020 – Happy dance! HB 60 is as dead as Pancho Villa.  Very close to HB 999 below, also from Rep. Wes Cantrell. 

HB 999  FEB 23, 2020 – Happy dance! HB 999 is as dead as Pancho Villa. 

HB 999 would create a state funded alternative K-12 school system for all student who have spent six weeks in a public school and have a parent, guardian or custodian living in Georgia. A new “Promise Scholarship” payment of $6000 per school year would be sent from state coffers directly to an account set up for the student. Parents/guardians/custodians would be in charge of distributing the funds. A committee made up of parents would be appointed to oversee compliance with the state’s scholarship laws. The bill is being sold as “school choice” and is gaining support. Radio personality Erick Erickson is pitching it on his national radio show. Nothing in the language of the legislation as presented mentions or deals with the fact that Georgia’s public schools are packed with illegal aliens who also have illegal alien parents. The scenario if passed as introduced would be that the state of Georgia sends money directly to the account of an illegal aliens child, an illegal alien parent has authority to disburse those funds and could easily be appointed to be a member of the oversight committee.Read more here.

K-12 private school scholarship should be limited to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents HB 999 HB 60.    Here is the fix 

The Dustin Inman Society opposes HB 999.

 * HB 120 Update: March 16, 2022: HB 120 is deceased. – would give illegal alien college students living in Georgia with a deferral on deportation in Obama’s DACA program the much lower instate tuition rate in the state’s university system. Americans and legal immigrants from other states who attend the same schools are not eligible for that lower rate.

  • Related: For academic year 2020-2021, the average tuition & fees for colleges in Georgia was $4,739 for instate and $17,008 for out-of-state according to experts at collegetuition.com.

Last year a federal judge ruled the DACA program to be unlawful. The 11th circuit appellate court ruled in 2019 that illegal aliens with DACA are still illegal aliens. They do not have legal status and are removable at any time. The Georgia Attorney General’s office takes a similar position. There are about 20K DACA recipients in GA.

Republican Rep. Kasey Carpenter introduced HB 120 in 2021. It puts DACA illegal aliens in front of Americans and legal immigrants. We regard that as un-American. The instate tuition for illegals concept is publicly pushed by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce because it would lower wages for Americans and raise corporate profits.

The Dustin Inman Society opposes HB120.

* HB 932  Update: HB 932 was denied a vote in the House Higher Ed committee and is dead for the year. It is possible for a Kamikaze legislator to try to attach it to a live bill. We hope so. That would be fun…

would allow refugees, foreigners here on Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) and Afghans on “humanitarian parole” to be excluded from the current state law and BOR policy that says newly arrived college students must be GA residents for 12 months before they can access the much lower instate tuition rate in Georgia’s public colleges and tech schools. (The Special Immigrant Visa grants permanent residence to foreign nationals who claim to have helped the U.S. government abroad).

HB 932 does not cover Americans and immigrants outside the above description who move to Georgia from other states– they would still be required to pay the higher tuition rate for public colleges/tech schools for the first year of their residence. HB 932 is sponsored by Republican Rep Wes Cantrell and has Democrat cosponsors. We regard HB 932 as un-American.

The Dustin Inman Society opposes HB 932.

 * HB 228  HB 228 is dead for the year. The GOP Establishment killed it. (Republican Rep Charlice Byrd) addresses the fact that Georgia issues drivers licenses and ID Cards to foreigners but has no law that excludes these credentials from acceptance as “proper identification” for voting purposes. The bill fixes that loophole and adds the wording “BEARER NOT U.S. CITIZEN-NOT VOTER ID” to the front of the non-citizen drivers licenses and ID Cards. It also requires DDS to change the first two characters of the serial number of these credentials to “NC” to reflect non-U.S. citizen status for mail-in vote security. We regard this bill to be a commonsense fix to a needless gap in election integrity.

The Dustin Inman supports HB 228.

 More information is easily accessed at ImmigrationPoliticsGA.com and NewDustinInmanSociety.org.        

 

Filed Under: Recent Posts Achrives

Liberal AJC still hawking fake news on HB 120 – omits “Opportunity Tuition…”

March 12, 2021 By D.A. King

Newspaper continues to push rejected illegal alien-friendly legislation

The liberal AJC is still trying to sell the now all-but-dead HB 120 scam. The morning after Rep Kasey Carpenter’s “instate tuition” bill formally expired due to an absence of Rules Committee attention, AJC reporter Greg Bluestein lamented the GOP had lost a chance to win over more immigrants and Latino voters. A real mensch, Bluestein is always very concerned about the Republican’s well being.

In today’s ‘Capitol Recap’. AJC Premium Editor Jim Denery did a rerun of the Bluestein goop. Update: The AJC also printed the same “news” in the Sunday edition.

AJC Enterprise editor Jim Denery. Photo: AJC.

Neither of them seem to understand or care that Kasey Carpenter is a shameless huckster. Neither of them seem to understand simple immigration law and neither seem to be able to process news of federal court decisions reported in their own newspaper.

We have lost count of the number of news outlets that falsely reported that “DACA recipients” were the target of Carpenter’s first two versions of HB 120 on instate tuition and that “DACA” was part of the bill language. Triple dog dare: Show us the numbers of the lines that contain “DACA.”

The reality, easily verified by actually reading those bills, is that DACA was never mentioned in the language. We think the various reporters swallowed Carpenter’s carnival barker, verbal presentation of the bill without reading the legislation. Either that or as often happens with the agenda-driven Atlanta Journal Constitution, staff and management were in on the hustle.

This writer pointed this “DACA” discrepancy out to House legislators in committee.

So did a retired federal immigration agent in a letter to legislators.

I also pointed out that the liberal AJC has reported the 11th circuit appellate court has ruled that illegal aliens with DACA are illegal aliens. How much “lawful presence” do they have? Zero.

Photo: DIS.

 

Carpenter finally did actually insert “DACA” language into his Orwellian, ‘Hail Mary’ latest version. In addition to the existing instate and out-of-state tuition fees, he also invented a new proposed tier of tuition rates: “Opportunity Tuition” – for illegal aliens who would be known as “Opportunity Students.”

It wasn’t “instate tuition” at all. Carpenter should feel cheated. He concocted this goofy Newspeak wording but the AJC ignored his work.

Americans and legal immigrants from most other states would not be allowed to pay the lower “Opportunity Tuition” rates. Only illegal aliens who landed in Georgia before 2013 (*or who move in with parents who say they were here in 2013) could get that special deal. At least until the next time these liberals couldn’t bear the “unfairness” of borders and immigration laws. Then it would be back to the Gold Dome to change that 2013 date to 2021 or whatever year they decided represented “justice.”

Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than green card holders according to the anti-enforcement Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

The danger to pro-enforcement Georgians of the AJC’s constant hard sell is that most Georgia legislators know more about Martian trigonometry than they do about immigration. In large part we blame this on reading and believing the AJC.

I left a voicemail for Denery late Friday afternoon. I don’t expect a return call and I don’t expect the AJC correction I asked his editors to run.

We created factual info (but with verification) on HB 120 here and here and here and here .

________

Updated 11:42 March 13 – corrected title on editor Jim Denery.

Updated 10:15 AM March 14 – addition of info on GBPI.

*Updated 6:04 PM March 14 – added detail of illegal aliens moving in with parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Recent Posts Achrives

That’s not accurate, Mr. Germany: Fact checking Ryan Germany, General Counsel to Georgia’s SoS on his testimony on HB 228  

March 2, 2021 By D.A. King

Georgia Capitol Building. Photo: Twitter

 

Fate of HB 228 could hang on “expert” testimony

 With a note on Shevondah Leslie and DDS

 

In his long testimony to a legislative committee chock full of senior House members, Georgia Secretary of State General Counsel Ryan Germany passed on a remarkable amount of inaccurate and incomplete “facts” last Friday. From where this writer was sitting it appeared the assignment was to kill the measure at hand, HB 228.

The bill is aimed at voter ID integrity.

The hearing in the Special Committee on Election Integrity admittedly involved “in the weeds” details on immigration law. But it also dealt with Motor Voter registration, Georgia driving credentials, ID Cards given to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals and the security measures involved in the issuing process. In addition to Germany’s, the general lack of knowledge of many of the legislators was quite extraordinary.

Example? In a state where legislators endlessly seek to increase foreign labor, exactly who can obtain a Social Security number seems to be a deep and mysterious unknown.

From a transcript of the hearing on voter security and “proper identification” at the polls:

Committee member and Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones to Ryan: “So I guess follow up if you’re not a citizen, you wouldn’t have social security number?”

From the witness podium, Secretary of State General Counsel Germany: “Uh, I believe it’s possible to have a social if you’re not a citizen, but it’s, but it’s not, it’s not, um, a typical occurrence by any means.”

That’s not accurate Mr. Germany

GA Secretary of State General Counsel Ryan Germany. Photo: Law.com

The fact that Ryan Germany was put in a position to influence the outcome of pending legislation and apparently does not know his statement to the House Speaker Pro Tem is wildly wrong should be alarming to all concerned.

The reality is that foreign nationals aka “non-citizens” aka “aliens” can easily obtain a Social Security number. It is a very “typical occurrence.”

Virtually every legal immigrant (green card holder) in the U.S. – and we take in about a million every year – is given a Social Security number and they are under no obligation to ever become American citizens. Guest workers here on temporary visas are issued Social Security Numbers – more than 1.4 million guest workers in 2013 (for example). As is mentioned further down, about 600,000 illegal aliens have been issued Social Security numbers.

*In his testimony and a response to another question from Speaker Pro Tem Jones, SoS General Counsel Germany told her “So, um, that means that when, when they’re checking their status at DDS, when you’re checking either citizen or, you know, legal resident, um, because it’s non-legal residents cannot get driver’s licenses or IDs in Georgia.”

That’s not accurate, Mr. Germany.

For brevity here, let’s consider the more than twenty thousand illegal aliens who are beneficiaries of Barack Obama’s ‘Deferred Action on Deportation for Childhood Arrivals’ (DACA recipients) who have Georgia drivers licenses and/or official ID Cards – and Social Security numbers.

This is due to the fact that the REAL ID Act contains a section (MINIMUM DOCUMENT REQUIREMENT AND ISSUANCE STANDARDS… (Sec. 202, (2) (B) ) which says illegal aliens with deferred action on deportation (and other categories of administrative status) have “legal status” for purposes of drivers licenses and ID cards only. The status does not transfer out of that narrow regulation.

For example, these illegal aliens with DACA have Georgia drivers licenses and ID Cards but are not allowed instate tuition rates at USG/TCSG schools. While he is stone silent on the entire issue as governor, in 2018 even then-candidate Brian Kemp recognized that “illegal immigrants” with DACA do not qualify for the Hope scholarship. No Obamacare either. Why? Because they are, using the words of Ryan Germany, “non-legal residents.”

In a March, 2019 opinion the 11th circuit appellate court noted the obvious: “As DACA recipients, they simply were given a reprieve from potential removal; that does not mean they are in any way ‘lawfully present under the (INA) act.” Even the liberal AJC reported it.

We noted that decision in 2019 with observations on how public benefits are administered in Georgia.

Text of HB 228 as introduced here.

—>Update: October 18, 2021: Current version (committee substitute) of HB 228 here. 

Rep Charlice Byrd. Photo: Asian Times.

Bonus for General Counsel Ryan Germany and the Georgia legislature:

  • Georgia’s Attorney General Chris Carr makes it clear that DACA recipients do not have legal status.
  • From the Associated Press: “Some illegal immigrants can get Georgia driver’s licenses.”

It is very possible Mr. Germany lacks this knowledge. The committee considering HB 228 should not have similar gaps of information.

On the topic of REAL ID compliant credentials, Germany informed the committee considering DDS-issued credentials used as voter ID that “…since 2012, I believe (DDS) has only issued Real IDs for driver’s license or state ID.”

Ryan Germany testifies to the Special Committee on Election Integrity Feb 26, 2021. Photo: dak

Not exactly, Mr. Germany.

As I type, I am looking at my own Georgia drivers license issued in January 2016. It is not REAL ID compliant. It has no gold star. What Germany omitted in his “expert” education to legislators in the HB228 hearing is the fact that if anyone obtains both an ID card and a DL DDS will only make one document REAL ID Act compliant – which is noted with a gold star in upper right corner.

Photo dak

It should be made clear – again – that the illegal aliens with Georgia-issued drivers licenses and ID Cards are given the same credentials as U.S. citizens with the exception of the words “LIMITED TERM” on top.

Here, we insert an April, 2019 news item from the liberal AJC: Georgia leads nation in motor voter registrations

“Amid heated battles over voting rights, Georgia has emerged as an unlikely national leader in automatic voter registration, according to a study this month by the Brennan Center for Justice. The study estimated that 94% more voters registered in Georgia than if the state hadn’t implemented automatic voter registration in September 2016.”

House Bill 228 is designed to make human and/or systemic error resulting in illegal voting much less possible. The bill closes a loophole in current law that does not prohibit foreign national’s drivers licenses and/or ID Cards from acceptance as “proper identification” at the Georgia’s polls. It clearly marks these documents with “BEARER NOT A U.S. CITIZEN – NOT VALID VOTER ID.”

The committee hearing HB 228 seemed to reject the multiple liberal media stories presented documenting foreign nationals being registered to vote through the Motor Voter system. But it was clear they hung on every word from General Counsel Ryan Germany.

That is accurate, Mr. Germany

It is not apparent that the committee realized one of Germany’s most important statements came in his answer to another question from Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones. She asked “is it possible though for a non citizen, um, to accidentally be registered to vote, say at the county level, if they go to their county board registration to register that?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible” was Germany’s reply.

That is accurate, Mr. Germany.

A parting note on DDS testimony at the same hearing

“A Georgia DL/ID is not proof of lawful status in the U.S. so it is important to note that an expired LIMITED-TERM card does not mean the person is in the country illegally.” – statement on the DDS website as of 2:25 PM March 2, 2021..

We are focused on testimony in committee from “experts” to legislators with apparent wide gaps in knowledge of immigration law and how secure credentials are issued in Georgia. It’s a good place for a quick note on the video testimony of Ms. Shevondah Leslie who is Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) Director of Governmental Affairs and Communications.

Space here does not allow extensive coverage, but Leslie effectively told committee members multiple times that everyone who is issued a Georgia drivers license and/or ID Card is “lawfully present.”

To repeat information offered above, the federal government – the source of immigration laws that decide status – tells us something quite different. So does a former federal immigration judge.

It is long past time that responsible lawmakers pay attention.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) puts it a different way:

“Current law does not grant any legal status for the class of individuals who are current recipients of DACA. Recipients of DACA are currently unlawfully present in the U.S. with their removal deferred” – here.

 

Again, more than twenty thousand DACA recipients alone have Georgia drivers licenses and/or ID Cards. There are other categories of illegal aliens with state ID credentials.

In response to inquiries from past state legislators, DDS has revealed that the SAVE system does not confirm “lawful presence” for DACA recipients – but rather temporary employment authorization. That phrase notes that Obama gave these illegal aliens a work permit and an SSN. It does not in any way contradict the laws from congress as noted in the 11th circuit appellate court decision.

_____

The problem with SAVE.

_____

In response to questions on the non-citizen drivers licenses a DDS spox once told a news outlet

“DDS has not changed the policy regarding driver’s license and/or identification card issuance to non-citizens. Those non-citizens in Deferred Action Status are eligible for GA licenses and IDs per the Federal Dream Act (assuming that they meet all other GA licensing criteria). Here.

We hope that it does not come as news to readers here that the DREAM Act failed to pass in congress multiple times. There is no “federal DREAM Act.” You can read that one here.

A DDS liaison once assured a state legislator, in writing, “we don’t issue cards to illegal aliens.”

There is much more information available for lawmakers who want to make educated decisions on all matters immigration and “non-citizens.” That issue is crucial to HB 228 which is focused on clarifying and ease of recognition the ID we give to foreigners in Georgia.

Indoor billboard outside Ga. Gov. Kemp’s Gold dome office. Photo: dak 26Feb2021.

For Georgians curious as to why there is a thunderclap of instant and powerful opposition to adding clarifying wording on credentials issued to foreign nationals, it should be noted that a very important goal of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce is more, not fewer foreign workers in “the number one state for business.” Any change in marking these documents is counter to the already announced goal from the business lobby at the leftist Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.– drivers licenses for all “immigrants” – legal or not. Election integrity comes behind that ambition for far too many obedient people in power in Georgia.

Like in California.

—

Note: A link to the official video record and transcript of the February 26, 2021 hearing can be accessed on the ImmigrationPoliticsGA website.

*Updated March 6, 11:13 PM. Corrected (deleted) a repeated paragraph typo concerning Ryan Germany response to Speaker Pro Team Jones on “…non-legal residents cannot get driver’s licenses or IDs in Georgia.” I regret the error. dak

Updated jan 5, 2022 to expand stated number of illegal aliens with SSNs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Immigration Research Archives

AJC headline tells readers door to higher education closed to immigrants in Georgia!

February 9, 2021 By D.A. King

 

Photo: Twitter

 

 

Oh, my! The Feb 4, 2021 headline in the liberal AJC’s “Get Schooled” blog “OPINION: Open door to higher education for immigrants” tells us the door to higher education is closed to immigrants! Can you imagine how horrible the state of Georgia must be?

But wait, the sub-headline is “Bill introduced by Republican legislator would restore in-state tuition for young immigrants.”

Ah, so maybe it’s not that immigrants cannot get a college education in the Peach State after all. Maybe the AJC’s problem with Georgia is that young immigrants must pay out-of-state tuition – at public universities?

Nope, that isn’t true either.

Actually the state’s taxpayer funded University System of Georgia is ruled by the autonomous Board of Regents and that body has a policy offering instate tuition rates to immigrants. But – and here is the real problem the AJC and the people who wrote the opinion column have with Georgia – the benefit is for legal immigrants. And refugees. And asyleees. Pretty mean, eh?

Legal immigrants, also known as Lawful Permanent Residents have what are widely referred to as ‘green cards.” The Regents policy does not allow illegal aliens to access instate tuition.

It’s right there in the Board of Regents Policy Manual

4.3 Student Residency.

4.3.1 Out-of-State Enrollment & 4.3.2 Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes

4.3.2.3 Non-Citizens

“A non-citizen student shall not be classified as in-state for tuition purposes unless the student is legally in this state and there is evidence to warrant consideration of in-state classification as determined by the Board of Regents. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, or other eligible noncitizens as defined by federal Title IV regulations may be extended the same consideration as citizens of the United States in determining whether they qualify for in-state classification.

International students who reside in the United States under non-immigrant status conditioned at least in part upon intent not to abandon a foreign domicile shall not be eligible for in-state classification.”

The liberal AJC headline is over an opinion column from two advocates, Sofia Bork and Munir Meghjani. They seem very confused about the regents policy.

“Unfortunately, Georgia’s growing immigrant community has been locked out of the system that could propel them to reach their full potential, benefiting both their community and our state’s workforce. We have seen scores of family and friends struggle to make ends meet to afford the same education we received” they tell us.

If you have already guessed that the column is really about promoting state legislation to give illegal aliens instate tuition, you are on the right track.

The bill being sold is House Bill 120 from Republican Rep Kasey Carpenter of Dalton. Carpenter – and his mostly Democrat co-sponsors – want to provide illegal aliens with the much lower instate tuition rate than the regents allow U.S. citizens and legal immigrants from most other states to pay.

In liberal parlance, it’s fairness to “immigrants.”

Rep Carpenter says his bill is all about illegal aliens with DACA status. It’s not. DACA is not mentioned anywhere in the bill. But that isn’t part of the advocate’s column in the AJC. Rep Carpenter says illegal aliens with DACA are somehow ‘lawfully present’ in the United States. The 11th Circuit Appellate Court says DACA does not provide lawful presence. We wrote it up here.

None of that is in the opinion column in the liberal AJC.  It’s worth a read if you aren’t already convinced the editors at the AJC are driven by an open borders agenda and they are quite willing to smear real immigrants to push that cause.

AJC Get Schooled editor Maureen Downey. Photo: Twitter.

The AJC “Get Schooled” blog is run by AJC editor Maureen Downey who we suspect wrote the headline.

##

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Fast Facts Archives

GOP Rep Kasey Carpenter blasts his county party for opposing his instate tuition for illegal aliens bill – video

February 3, 2021 By D.A. King

Rep Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton) blasts his home county Republican party at the Georgia Capitol. Photo: Screenshot, Georgia House/FYN

“A 2019 11th Circuit Appellate Court decision ruled that DACA does not provide lawful status and denied a group of DACA recipient’s lawsuit demand for admission to the three public-funded public Georgia universities that do not allow illegal aliens to attend at any tuition rate.”

Rep. Kasey Carpenter revolts against local GOP to defend his in-state tuition bill for DACA recipientFebruary 2, 2021

by Brian K. Pritchard

FetchYourNews.com

Dalton’s Republican state Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton) denounced his home GOP on the House floor in defense of his legislation (HB 120) to grant illegal aliens in-state tuition rates. The bill would allow undocumented international students living in Georgia to pay less tuition than Americans and legal immigrants from most other states in Georgia’s public universities and the technical college system.

“As far as DACA recipients receiving in-state tuition rates, These individuals are here thru no fault of their own. They are or will be taxpayers in the state of Georgia. I am interested in creating more givers than takers to our economy. Affordable College education is a step in that direction. The state pays the same rate whether that student pays in-state or out-of-state tuition. It is the university or college that takes the hit. Many take that hit on students from surrounding states. The federal government has failed America in regard to immigration. Unfortunately, we have to come up with the best solutions with the situation we have been handed. Making lemonade out of lemons,” Carpenter told FYN.

For the academic year 2019-2020, the average tuition & fees for Colleges in Georgia is $4,721 for in-state and $16,879 for out-of-state, according to collegetuitioncompare.com.

Last week Rep Carpenter made a short speech to the Georgia House blasting his bill’s opponents, lamenting the period in history when the U.S. had “a show-up” immigration policy, verbally merged ‘immigrants’ with illegals – and with an audible groan from an off-camera House member, cited the biblical story of Joseph and his family in ancient Egypt to defend his tuition legislation.

The now growing controversy began when the Whitfield Republican Party sent out an email opposing the legislation shortly after its introduction. The email read, “Carpenter is renewing his attempts to make Georgia a magnet for a new wave of illegal.” Rep Carpenter responded with a Facebook post saying his tuition bill was crafted for DACA recipients and would “only apply to individuals considered lawfully present in Georgia as of 2013, aka DACA.”

Carpenter had the following to say about Whitfield GOP, “My problem with our local GOP is they sent out miss information about this bill without even calling beforehand. Sometimes local parties have individuals involved with their own agenda. It doesn’t speak to the entire party but A select few.”

A 2019 11th Circuit Appellate Court decision ruled that DACA does not provide lawful status and denied a group of DACA recipient’s lawsuit demand for admission to the three public-funded public Georgia universities that do not allow illegal aliens to attend at any tuition rate.

DACA is a 2012 executive amnesty program put in place by then-President Barack Obama that grants deferred action on deportation along with a work permit and Social Security Number to illegal aliens. Georgia issues driver’s licenses and official state ID Cards to DACA recipients as well as other “public benefits.”… There is more here from FYN.com

 

Filed Under: Recent Posts Achrives

Pending legislation under Georgia’s Gold Dome to allow illegal aliens to pay lower tuition at public universities than legal immigrants and U.S. citizens #HB120 #KaseyCarpenter

January 28, 2021 By D.A. King

 

Image: A.F. Branco – In 2016 three Georgia residents, all illegal aliens who had graduated from Georgia high schools, went to court with the contention that their deferred action on deportation status as DACA recipients somehow provided “lawful presence” in the U.S. Further, they said DACA should allow them to attend the universities the Board of Regents has placed off limits to illegal aliens.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against them in 2019. On page 26 of the March 2019 11th Circuit opinion the court wrote: “As explained above, appellants are not lawfully present in the United States.”
The court noted the obvious (even the liberal AJC reported it): illegal alien students are still subject to deportation proceedings. “As DACA recipients, they simply were given  a reprieve from potential removal; that does not mean they are in any way ‘lawfully present under the (INA) act.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Updated: Typos corrected 5:32 PM 28 January, 2021.  **Updated 9:15 AM 29 January, 2021 with note on lack of criminal restrictions for eligibility.

UPDATE FEB 19, 8:47 PM – THERE IS NOW A SUBSTITUTE BILL (LC 49 0393S) WITH A SLIGHT CHANGE IN LANGUAGE DESIGNED TO CREATE FAKE NEWS. IT IS WORKING. MORE SUNDAY.

Instate tuition for illegal aliens in Georgia – House Bill 120 sponsored by Republican Rep Kasey Carpenter of Dalton

 Carpenter has three Republican co-signers and five Democrat co-signers. Without ever using “DACA,” the hoped-for contention is that DACA provides “lawful presence.” It doesn’t.

See bottom for a list and contact info of cosponsors.

Rep Kasey Carpenter’s legislation, HB 120, would change Georgia law to allow illegal aliens to access instate tuition rates in Georgia’s public university and technical college systems. Three schools would be exempt because they do not admit illegal aliens at any tuition rate.

Rep Kasey Carpenter Photo: GA General Assembly

These instate rates are much lower than out-of state tuition (what non-residents pay). For academic year 2019-2020, the average tuition & fees for Colleges in Georgia is $4,721 for in-state and $16,879 for out-of-state.

This would mean illegal aliens would pay a lower rate than Americans and legal immigrants from Michigan or Nebraska (for example).

The bill is being promoted in the liberal AJC in a way that makes it sound like it would only apply to illegal aliens with Obama’s illegal DACA action. Here is a quote from an AJC article before the bill officially dropped:

“ (Rep Kasey) Carpenter said his bill would apply to participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.”

The reality is that “DACA” is not mentioned anywhere in Carpenter’s state tuition amnesty bill. Carpenter, along with his far-left, Atlanta-area Democrat co-sponsors has structured the measure so that nearly any ‘youngish’ illegal alien living in Georgia, DACA or not, can pay much less tuition in Georgia taxpayer-funded post-secondary schools than Americans and legal immigrants from most other states *if they meet the bill’s guidelines. *(updated 3:19 PM, January 28, 2021)

Note: Read a well written explanation of what may happen to DACA in the near future from Regulatory Review.

______________________

Requirements for instate tuition for illegal aliens in Carpenter’s bill:

* Student must have graduated from a Georgia High School or obtained a Georgia GED.

* Claim domicile in Georgia since January 1, 2013 or be a dependent “child” of a parent (including illegal alien parents) who claims Georgia domicile since January 1, 2013.

*  Be younger than 30 at time of initial application to a Georgia post-secondary school. This appears to mean the illegal alien who is older than 30 now could have applied in the past and been rejected but can use the date of that original application. (We have not done the math).

* Has not been issued a temporary (non-immigrant) visa to enter the U.S.A. by the federal government.

*The bill says student must be “lawfully present in this state” and present evidence of that status – and that the regents may not allow instate tuition to non-citizens who are not “lawfully present.”

All italics mine.

**UPDATE: January 29, 2021 – DACA has guidelines for eligibility regarding criminal records and convictions. In HB 120 we see no such limiting language. This bill is a separate, state level illegal alien tuition amnesty that should be rejected out of hand by responsible lawmakers.

_______________________

The term “lawful presence” (different from “legal status”) seems to be the rock Carpenter, his Democrat co-sponsors and his foreign labor backers are tying themselves to. Congress, and only congress, makes the determination of immigration status. According to a 2019 appellate court decision discussed further down, “lawful presence” is not defined anywhere in the Immigration and Nationality Act that regulates immigration. Illegal aliens with DACA for example, do not have “lawful presence.”

Carpenter says he is trying to educate more workers. In a pandemic. With high unemployment. A move that will lower wages for Americans if successful.

Carpenter and his Democrat co-sponsors seem to be trying hard to allow the state of Georgia to create its own amnesty for tuition rates. By using the “DACA” label in talking points, but leaving it out of the bill language, they could allow perhaps thousands more illegal aliens to obtain this immigration amnesty for special treatment on tuition than the 21,000 or so illegal aliens that actually currently have DACA status.

We expect the argument to be that illegal aliens with a Georgia drivers license can use it to demonstrate “lawful presence” in Georgia to pay less tuition than legal immigrants.

See bill here

Image: The Dustin Inman Society

FACTS:

 Associated Press: “Some illegal immigrants get licenses in Georgia.”

llegal aliens with deferred action on deportation (DACA or no DACA) can and do qualify for a Georgia drivers license because of federal law (REAL ID Act) – this special treatment applies to obtaining drivers licenses and official ID cards only.

The Georgia state senate passed a bill to end this insanity in 2017. All but one Republican voted in favor. The liberal AJC reported on it with “Georgia Senate passes measure aimed at immigrants without legal status.”

The House never allowed the bill to see a hearing and the bill died. We are forever grateful to former state Senator Josh McKoon for his courage and determination.

Drivers license issued to non-citizens in Georgia, including illegal aliens with deferred action on deportation. Photo: DDS.

Carpenter and his Dem pals may be trying to use the drivers license as a way to get illegal aliens instate tuition. The effort seems to be to use the DACA amnesty as a way to confuse lawmakers and voters on Carpenter’s tuition amnesty bill, it should be noted that illegal aliens with DACA have already lost their case in federal court – twice – when they tried to claim “lawful presence.”

“Illegal aliens who have been awarded deferred action on deportation proceedings through the DACA amnesty by both the Obama and Trump administrations are illegal aliens and do not have “lawful presence” says the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision was handed down March 6, 2019.

The ruling was in response to a suit brought by several illegal aliens in Georgia who were challenging the Board of Regents policy that requires lawful presence for instate tuition purposes and admittance to some USG universities.

The Eleventh Circuit rejected all of the students’ claims. The court noted that  ““lawfully present” is not a stand alone immigration classification, and it is not defined anywhere in the (Immigration and Nationality) Act  *(opinion here).

We wrote it up here, with a link to the court’s opinion.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. Photo: Twitter.com

Georgia Attorney General, Chris Carr:

“We have continuously and clearly taken the position in ongoing legal cases that DACA does not confer legal status…” from the liberal WABE news.

The bill seems to depend largely on lawmaker’s ignorance of the issue and the slanted promotional and inaccurate headline coverage in the media.

________

HB120

Sponsor: Rep Kasey Carpenter (R) Dalton

*Cosponsors

Rep Dale Washburn (R) Macon

Rep Mathew Gambrill (R) Cartersville

Rep Bee Nguyen (D) Atlanta

Rep Zulma Lopez (D) Atlanta

Rep Wes Cantrell (R) Woodstock

Rep Shea Roberts (D) Atlanta

Rep Angelika Kausche (D) Johns Creek

Rep Mathew Wilson (D) Brookhaven

Rep Sam Park (D) Lawrenceville (Added here Jan 11, 2022 after an update with House Clerk’s office. Thank you, Judy!)

*As per Clerk’s office 10:00 AM Jan 27, 2021 & Jan 11, 2022.

Image: Dustin Inman Society

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Recent Posts Achrives

State E-Verify law a challenge for illegal aliens says director of corporate-sponsored, restricted Latino group

July 18, 2019 By D.A. King

Image: Latino Community Fund

 

 

 

 

 

But some illegals already receive public benefits in Georgia

 

D.A. King

From the “that’s pretty much the point” department: Georgia’s E-Verify law represents a challenge for illegal aliens who want to open a business and be more visible in Georgia. This critical analysis from the executive director and founder of an ethnic-based Decatur group supported by Coca-Cola, Georgia Power and UGA’s Small Business Development Center.

Gigi Pedraza. Image: Saporta Report

 

Gigi Pedraza, head of the Latino Community Fund, was featured in the Saporta Report last month outlining the need “to understand the needs of Latinx Entrepreneurs” and highlighting a study her organization put out last year.

“Undocumented Latinos and other undocumented immigrants face perhaps the biggest of these challenges before they are even able to start a business. In 2011, the state Legislature passed House Bill 87, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act. The law required evidence that an applicant for a business license or other documents needed to run a business has approval to use the federal work authorization program” wrote Pedraza. She means the no-cost E-Verify system.

She went on to incorrectly explain to Saporta’s readers that use of E-Verify somehow creates a citizenship requirement for business owners. It doesn’t.

Pedraza in the Saporta Report: “Essentially, this instituted a citizenship requirement for Georgia business owners to operate lawfully, pay taxes and act as a visible part of their local communities and economies.”

Employers need not be U.S. citizens to be E-Verify users, but there is a requirement for a Social Security Number to register as a user, making it difficult for an illegal alien to receive authorization to use a federal system designed to help keep black market labor out of the workforce and to protect wages for legal workers.

Unsurprisingly, a goal for the Pedraza’s enterprise is to start a legislative process to end the state’s E-Verify requirement to obtain a business license: “Reducing this burdensome licensing restriction would allow additional Latino businesses to start and flourish, powered by individuals who call Georgia home and have dedicated most of their lives to build and contribute to this country” wrote Pedraza.

There is more than one legal hurdle for the illegal aliens

Pedraza ignored the fact that Georgia law separate from E-Verify statutes also requires applicants for public benefits to indicate on an affidavit under penalty of false swearing that they are eligible for the benefits due to U.S. citizenship or lawful presence. Business licenses are public benefits under the law.

OCGA 50-36-1 (4) (b): “Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section or where exempted by federal law, every agency or political subdivision shall verify the lawful presence in the United States under federal immigration law of any applicant for public benefits.”

 To accomplish her stated goal of making it easier for illegal aliens to legally operate a business, Pedraza will need to begin the lobbying process to dump this hard-fought safeguard as well.

Illegal aliens do receive public benefits in Georgia

An added educational note, a March appellate court decision confirmed that DACA recipients do not have lawful presence and are inadmissible and deportable. Simply put, they are illegal aliens. Nevertheless, Georgia issues a variety of public benefits to DACA recipients including unemployment benefits.

New to this writer, the openly restricted Latino Community Fund requires that other non-profit organizations meet two of the following descriptions for membership:

* Be Latino-led (Executive Director or CEO)
* Be governed by a majority Latino board of directors
* Serve a majority Latino client population (here).

Pedraza’s  guest column “Breaking down barriers for Latino Entrepreneurs” can be seen here. The study can be seen here

An experienced word of warning to readers who may dismiss the chances of any legislative action in the Republican-ruled state legislature to abolish the E-Verify law or the public benefits law – don’t.

The combined pressure from business donors, the mantra of “rolling back restrictions on small business”, the possibility of increasing the “great state for business” reputation by intentionally making life easier for illegal alien-run ventures and the ridiculous premise offered by Establishment Republican “influencers” that additional pandering would result in more Hispanic votes for the GOP at election time is powerful fodder under the Gold Dome.

Note: A condensed version of this column was posted on the subscription website Insider Advantage Georgia on Wednesday, July 17, 2019. We are grateful for the space.

 

Filed Under: Recent Posts Achrives

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

 “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.” Attributed to George Orwell.

miss something? see Post Archives and fast facts archives here

Categories

Brian Kemp
Photo: mdjonline.com

#BigTruckTrick

Days since GA Gov. Brian Kemp promised action on 'criminal illegals,' sanctuary cities, a criminal alien registry and related legislation:

2567

The Southern Poverty Law Center: Part Karl, Part Groucho

An Illegal Alien in Georgia Explains How To Drive Illegal Aliens Out of Georgia – SB529, 2007

https://youtu.be/oxe1WO27B_I

Gwinnett County, GA Sheriff Kebo Taylor and state law


About the author (click photo)

DA King

Foreign cops & lower college tuition for illegals than Americans, anyone? *Complete coverage of GA. House Study Committee “Innovative Ways to Maximize Global Talent”

ANSWERING THE SMEARS AJC/SPLC

Answering the smear: “blow up your buildings…” How a lie passed on by the AJC in 2007 is still being used against D.A. King (me)

FOREVER 16: REMEMBER DUSTIN INMAN

The Southern Poverty Law Center – a hate mongering scam

https://youtu.be/qNFNH0lmYdM

IMMIGRATION & WORLD POVERTY – GUMBALLS

https://youtu.be/LPjzfGChGlE?t=1

       CATO INSTITUTE: OPEN BORDERS

Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than green card holders

More illegal aliens than lawful permanent residents (green card holders) Image: GBPI.org

On illegal immigration and Georgia’s higher-ed system

Illegal aliens protest to demand "equity." Image: Twitter

Footer

Follow these immigration experts on Twitter

Follow these immigration experts on Facebook

contact georgia state legislators

State House Reps and state senators – contact georgia state legislators here.

If you don’t know who represents your and your family in Atlanta, you can find out here.

Contact the Georgia Delegation in Washington

Contact info for the Georgia delegation in Washington DC here. Just click on their name.

Copyright © 2025