Secretary of State and 2018 gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp (R) sent out this press release following Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) signing of legislation that bans sanctuary cities in Texas.
Sanctuary cities are dangerous, unlawful, and defy our Georgia values. As governor, our state will respect the rule of law and put the well being of Georgians – not illegal immigrants – first. Like Texas Governor Greg Abbott, I will fight radical, left-wing organizations and activists who are more concerned with advancing their agenda than keeping citizens and communities safe.
As a reminder, sanctuary cities provide protection for immigrants who are residing in the United States without legal permission. The Trump Administration is opposed to them and is currently caught up in court trying to deny them federal funds. On the other side of the debate, California is currently considering legislation that would make it a “sanctuary state” where local and state law enforcement are not permitted to communicate with federal immigration authorities in many cases.
This fits right into Kemp’s “Georgia First” campaign strategy that he outlined in this interview with the Gainesville Times. He seems to be targeting the rural Georgians and party activists that turned out for Donald Trump in 2016. He has secured the endorsement of around 50 rural county commissioners in pursuit of that goal.