Illegal immigrants will be barred from attending all of Georgia’s 60 public colleges under a bill the Senate passed Monday.

If Senate Bill 458 becomes law, Georgia would join Alabama and South Carolina in barring these students from public colleges. The legislation also would tweak existing state laws dealing with illegal immigration, but the higher education component occupied most of the 95-minute debate.


The bill moves on to the House, and the outlook there is uncertain.

A similar bill, House Bill 59, has yet to pass out of committee.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution
March 5, 2012
By Laura Diamond and Kristina Torres

Also House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, and Gov. Nathan Deal have said they have no plans to tinker with current immigration law, noting some rules have been in effect for just a few months.


SB 458 passed on a 34-19 vote.

Senate votes to ban illegal immigrants from Georgia's public colleges *| ajc.com