Anti-Immigrant Georgia Legislator Proposes Reactionary Immigration Bill

A proposed bill under consideration in the Georgia legislature to prevent all undocumented immigrants from attending state institutions of higher learning also contains provisions which could prevent them from even obtaining marriage licenses and water and sewage service.

The legislation, sponsored by Georgia Sen. Barry Loudermilk (R), would remove foreign passports from the list of valid identification documents for state agencies — unless they were accompanied by federal immigration documentation.

An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union attacked the bill, noting that the U.S. Transportation and Security Administration consider passports “a very secure form of ID.”

Who is Loudermilk? His campaign website brands him as “a strong conservative leader” and highlights his view that the “ever increasing number of illegal aliens entering Georgia” should “be treated as any other criminal.”

But most telling is an extremely anti-immigrant newspaper op/ed he wrote more than a decade ago, titled “This is America. Like it or leave it.” It said:

First of all, it is not our responsibility to continually try not to offend you in any way. This idea of America being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language, and our own lifestyle. This culture, called the “American Way” has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom. Our forefathers fought, bled, and died at places such as Bunker Hill, Antietam, San Juan Hill, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, for our way of life.

We speak English, not Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn our language.

Loudermilk continues:

The American culture is our way of life, our heritage, and we are proud of it. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don’t care how you did things where you came from. We are Americans. Like it or not, this is our country, our land, and our lifestyle.

Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion about our government, culture, or society, and we will allow you every opportunity to do so. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other great American freedom, the right to leave!

Loudermilk says the intent of the bill was not to deny marriage licenses and drinking water to undocumented immigrants and indicated an amendment to the bill would likely eliminate that issue. Provisions of an Alabama law preventing undocumented immigrants from doing business with the state have been blocked by a federal court.

If the bill becomes law in this form, expect the courts to block these provisions as well. And, perhaps when Loudermilk is done “complaining, whining and griping” about the fact that he cannot overrule the federal government, perhaps he too might take advantage of “one other great American freedom.”