Speedy Congregants Relax, Blocked Law Protects Drivers who Bring Illegal Immigrants to Church

The new law, HB 87, set to go into effect on Friday, is aimed at making illegal immigrants uncomfortable and fearful to the point that they move out of Georgia.

Under the original bill, anyone who was pulled over for a driving citation while transporting an illegal immigrant could be charged with a felony, according to this CNN story.

However, two portions of the bill were blocked Monday by Judge Thomas Thrash, including the transportation provision and another that would allow law enforcement to enquire about a person’s status during an interrogation.

But while that law focused on identifying those who are here illegally, some churches with growing Hispanic ministries were beginning to sweat.

Many local churches have carpool services for Hispanic members who may or may not be here legally.

Marshall Thomas, interim pastor of the Hispanic Congregation at Roswell First Baptist Church, said two church members used their personal vehicles to transport other congregants.

One of those members had legal status from a green card and the other was a naturalized citizen. The member with a green card had been increasingly worried about the bill. If caught, even in a routine traffic stop, he could lose his citizenship, Thomas said.

The two drivers pick up members from the Woodstock and Roswell area, some of who are homeless and without identification, Thomas said.

“They were going to continue doing it, but we were worried about the ramifications,” Thomas said.

For now, they can breathe easy. 

“This allows us to continue doing what we need to do to do God’s work without the threat of being incarcerated for doing that work,” Thomas said. “That is a huge relief.”