Cobb County Dems Speak Out Against New Immigration Law

Calling it one of the worst bills signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal, Cobb Democrats discussed the negative impacts immigration reform will have on the State’s economy at their monthly meeting held Saturday at Piccadilly’s Restaurant on Cobb Parkway.

Deal signed H.B. 87,  the“Georgia Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011," on Friday.

Many of those in attendance voiced their concerns about the effect the bill will have on the state.

Here's what they had to say:

“Nothing’s ever over,” said Georgia State Rep. Stacey Evans (D-40,) when asked whether the law should be changed. “Just look at what has been done to the Hope Scholarship this session. Things can change in an instant.”

Evans said the jolt to Georgia’s reputation is akin to receiving a black eye. “People are going to look at us as a racist, discriminatory state. That signal will not go away. We already have those issues,” Evans said.

Austell representative David Wilkerson agreed.

“It’s a bad bill for the state of Georgia,” said Wilkerson, a certified public accountaint. “It’s bad for businesses and individuals. Perception is reality, and the perception is that Georgia is a hostile place. All the sporting events, conventions…people are going to think twice before coming to Georgia.”

Wilkerson said legal ramifications could be costly, and Georgia lawmakers should have waited to see how the issue played out in the Arizona Supreme Court before passing a similar bill.

“I think what the present governor has done on yesterday was almost a travesty. It looks as if the cards are being stacked against immigrants,” said Jesse Frasier, who recently moved to Cobb County from Greenville, S.C.

Cheryl Vinson, another attendee, expressed similar sentiments saying, “It’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out...I do feel it was the wrong direction to go.”

Vinson also said she is concerned about which companies will be exempt from the E-Verify system. “It should be applied across the board," she said.

Carlos C-los Munoz said the immigration law is a backward move for the state. “It sends a message to the entire United States and others outside the U.S.A. It reminds me of Jim Crow, to sign something into law that I believe is ludicrous. Shame on the state of Georgia,” Munoz said.