By SHANNON McCAFFREY
Associated Press
ATLANTA – Gov. Nathan Deal said Friday he’ll sign a tough immigration law recently passed by the Georgia Legislature that includes elements similar to a contentious law enacted in Arizona last year.
The legislation “sends a signal that the citizens of our state believe the rule of law is important,” Deal said in an interview with The Associated Press, a day after the bill passed the Georgia Legislature.
Lawmakers had debated the issue for weeks and several versions were considered before a bill passed in the final hours of the 2011 session. Certain businesses will be required to check the immigration status of employees and the bill authorizes law enforcement to verify the immigration status of certain criminal suspects. If the governor signs the bill into law, it would be among the toughest in the nation to pass since Arizona’s law was signed and subsequently challenged in court.