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Mayor Shirley Franklin has signed a resolution that says Atlanta police should not be required to enforce immigration laws -- or even detain illegal immigrants charged with criminal acts -- unless the city receives "sufficient reimbursement" for doing so.

The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved the legislation on May 1, with author Felicia Moore saying she was concerned about the constitutionality of Atlanta police turning illegals over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

The legislation, which Franklin signed May 8, followed Gov. Sonny Perdue's April signing of a controversial state immigration bill. Among other things, that bill requires cities to report illegal immigrants jailed on felony or DUI charges to ICE beginning in July 2007.

Greg Pridgeon, Franklin's chief of staff, stressed that the issue was one of fair compensation for any enforcement duties Atlanta police might be asked to perform and that the mayor's decision to sign Moore's resolution "in no way is indicating that the city won't enforce the laws of the land."