Fight between City of Decatur and Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle heats up (Atlanta: appointed)

[Born 2 Roll]

2018 Georgia gubernatorial race frontrunner, Republican Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle's fight with the City of Decatur over immigration policy heats up as Lt. Governor Cagle files a complaint with Georgia's Immigration Enforcement Review Board after accusing the decidedly left-leaning city of violating Georgia's state law banning "sanctuary cities."

Lt. Governor Cagle has also accused the City of Decatur of violating Georgia state law by not cooperating with detainer requests from U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to hold illegal and undocumented immigrants until they are picked up by federal authorities.

A little-known board with members appointed by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle may ultimately resolve a dispute between Cagle and the city of Decatur over the city’s policy regarding immigration suspects.

Cagle has accused the city of Decatur of violating state law prohibiting “sanctuary cities” because of the city’s*decision to*put a longstanding policy in writing regarding cooperation with Immigration Customs Enforcement.*The city said it does not detain immigrants without a valid warrant from ICE and never has. Officers who violate the policy could face disciplinary action.

Cagle, the leading Republican candidate to replace Gov. Nathan Deal, is demanding the city amend that policy to specify that city police officers are not prohibited from communicating with federal authorities.*The lieutenant governor is*threatening to withhold state and federal money from the city over the policy.

Decatur’s City Commission has flatly refused to adopt “sanctuary city” status as other cities around the country have done. A resident requested the city do so*at the Dec. 19, 2016 City Commission meeting. Mayor Patti Garrett said the city could not do this, citing state law.

The city of Decatur on Nov. 1 responded to the Lt. Governor*a second time*and said the city is complying with the law. The city said state Sen. Elena Parent has asked Attorney General Chris Carr to provide his opinion about Decatur’s Policy.

Cagle responded by filing a complaint with the state Immigration Enforcement Review Board on Nov. 6. The board was appointed in 2011 to handle complaints about “illegal immigration.” The board’s chair, Shawn Hanley, was appointed by Cagle and told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he was “troubled” by Decatur’s policy and others like it.

“They are dividing this country even further,” Hanley told the AJC, speaking only for himself and not the board. “All they are doing is encouraging more illegal immigration.”

The immigration review board has the power to recommend withholding state funds from any local government found to be in violation of state law. The board can also recommend a fine.

AJC political columnist Jim Galloway reported that the Immigration Enforcement Review Board handled 20 cases in six years, 19 of which were filed by the founder of the Dustin Inman Society, dubbed a “extremist” group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss is hopeful the immigration board will find Decatur’s policy does not violate state law.

“We will present our case before the IERB in response to the complaint with the hope that they provide a non-biased non-partisan forum and make a decision based on facts,” Merriss said. “We believe our position would prevail in that environment.”

The sanctuary cities law was enacted in 2013, according to Cagle’s complaint. Merriss said the city has never received a request from ICE, known as a detainer, since the law was enacted. The city doesn’t have a jail.

"Lt. Governor Casey Cagle escalates fight with Decatur using state immigration board" (Decaturish.com)
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle escalates fight with Decatur using state immigration board | Decaturish - Locally sourced news


"Fight between Lt. Gov. Cagle, City of Decatur heats up" (with video) (CBS46 Atlanta)
Fight between Lt. Gov. Cagle, City of Decatur heats up - CBS46 News

[Forhall]

I sometimes wish people would stop and think about what they're doing. How many immigrants are going to decide whether or not to come to America based on whether or not 1 tiny little city in Georgia is a sanctuary city.

It's amazing how much effort republicans put into banning immigrants because of fears they might be dangerous, yet won't lift a finger for banning guns. If a "good guy with a gun" argument is all they have, what if the good guy were an immigrant? Would that be enough to convince them to not ban immigrants like it does for guns? How many people are killed by immigrants vs guns?

[fzx]

attacking immigration is a smart move for Republicans regardless how unpopular Trump is. Plus, it is not the relative number, percentage of crimes, but the absolute number that makes the headline.

[Born 2 Roll]

I think that I know what Lt. Governor Cagle might be doing with this move to bring attention to and attack the City of Decatur on the issue of an alleged violation of Georgia state anti-immigration law.

I think that Cagle may be attempting to distract the 2018 Georgia GOP gubernatorial primary race away from the potentially much more damaging issue of 'religious liberty' as well as the much more polarizing issue of Confederate symbols and statues while attempting to build street cred for himself as a conservative candidate for governor with the primary electorate by attacking the very liberal/progressive City of Decatur, a city that is strongly disliked by many Georgia conservatives because of its notably left-leaning politics.

Cagle is basically attempting to divert the attention of the entire Georgia GOP gubernatorial race apparatus (including both the entire GOP gubernatorial primary field and the entire GOP gubernatorial primary electorate) away from the potentially incredibly damaging issue of 'religious liberty' as well away from the potentially incredibly polarizing issue of Confederate symbols and statues by attacking on the subject of illegal immigration a symbol of metro Atlanta and Eastern liberal/progressivism in the City of Decatur that many conservative GOP primary electorate voters hate with a burning passion.

I think that Casey Cagle may be heavily motivated to divert attention away from the much more explosive 'religious liberty' and Confederate symbols issues because Cagle is an ardently pro-business/business-friendly who personally seems to be deeply uncomfortable with the 'religious liberty' issue because of the monumental amount of damage that the issue has the potential to do to Georgia's reputation as one of the absolute top states in which to do business in.

Cagle has ties to the metro Atlanta and North Georgia business communities that might be considered extremely (if not exceptionally) close even by the standards of a business-friendly traditional establishment conservative Republican and was so deeply uncomfortable with the 'religious liberty' issue that he only extremely reluctantly signed the pledge to promise to push for a strong religious liberty law that all of the other 2018 Georgia GOP Gubernatorial Primary candidates signed.

Cagle probably feels that the focus of the Georgia GOP gubernatorial primary apparatus on the 'religious liberty' issue could only be damaging to Georgia's future business prospects, especially during a time when the state is attempting to land the apparently highly-lucrative second headquarters for Amazon.

Cagle figures that whomever wins the 2018 gubernatorial race and becomes governor figures to benefit greatly (massively) if Georgia does indeed manage to land Amazon's second headquarters... So of course, Cagle (who is generally a very popular statewide political figure with apparently wide appeal across the political spectrum and is the presumed frontrunner of the entire 2018 Georgia gubernatorial field across both parties) wants to set himself up for a good economic run as governor should be manage to be able to hang on to his frontrunner status and win the race.

Cagle is also likely highly-motivated to divert the attention of the Georgia GOP Gubernatorial Primary apparatus away from the Confederate symbols and monuments issue that has threatened to ignite in a county like DeKalb because Cagle himself is a figure who has traditionally had good relations and had much appeal with African-American and Democratic voters.

Going to war with the small liberal city of Decatur basically is a good way for Cagle to build credibility with a deeply-conservative GOP primary electorate (a deeply-conservative GOP primary electorate that has often criticized Cagle for being too moderate and too progressive) away from more damaging and polarizing issues like 'religious liberty' and Confederate symbols and monuments that could help significantly more conservative competing GOP gubernatorial primary candidates like Brian Kemp and Michael Williams gain traction in the race.