Georgia can ask for immigration documents

As per the ruling, suspects not able to provide identification can be asked by Georgia police officials to verify their US citizenship.

Georgia cops may say—“Show us your papers”--The decision by the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals has called for lifting of a hold on Georgia immigration law’s provision by authorizing Georgia cops to question suspects and ask for immigration papers.

Although, the exact date when such a decision will come into effect is not known yet but the decision has cleared the hurdle by a lower court that restricted cops from querying people regarding immigration documents in Georgia.

The decision comes closely on the heels of the ruling by the US Supreme Court approving a similar provision of Arizona immigration law.

Some relief for Georgia immigrants-- A sigh of relief for undocumented immigrants in Georgia is that the three-judge panel behind the decision did not interfere with a part of Georgia immigration law’s provision that bars prosecution of people knowingly transporting or harboring an undocumented immigrant.

According to a senior staff attorney with ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, Omar Jadwat, many parts of Georgia and Alabama’s anti-immigration laws were rejected by the court. These include any attempt to criminalize day-to-day interactions with undocumented aliens along with attempts by Alabama to rob children of right to education, he added.

And the fact is the door is still open for challenging the provision of “show me your papers “which will be fought for protecting constitutional rights of people, he affirmed.

Besides Arizona and many other US states, Georgia has formulated immigration laws meant to make life a hell for undocumented immigrants in the last couple of years.

Such anti-immigrant laws have invited wrath and criticism of opponents who allege only the federal government should have rights to formulate immigration laws.

Proponents of such immigration laws, on the other hand, justify introduction of such legislations saying they are integral due to lack of action on the part of th e federal government.