Following in the footsteps of Texas's controversial immigration law, other Republican-led states like Iowa, Georgia and Missouri are passing similar legislation, reports NPR. Although the state bills differ in some ways, their common thread is that states are taking on immigration-enforcement responsibilities historically reserved for federal immigration enforcement.
Legislators in Oklahoma are advocating for a Texas-style law on the books, if the courts give approval to the Lone Star State. Georgia's immigration-enforcement bill has more support after the killing of nursing student Laken Riley, whose alleged assailant lacked legal immigration status. Georgia's bill goes farther, threatening to punish law enforcement for not verifying any suspect's immigration status, which worries immigrant advocates, who believe that the measure could demonize all immigrants, including crime victims, who may be afraid to report crimes, for fear of being deported.