Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed into law on Friday an immigration bill giving police authority to question suspects about their immigration status which is similar to a controversial measure passed in Arizona.
The law also requires many private employers to check the immigration status of newly hired workers on a federal database called E-Verify.
Deal said the law will take the burden off Georgia's schools, hospitals and prisons by reducing the number of illegal immigrants in the state.
"This legislation is a responsible step forward in the absence of federal action," Deal said during a signing ceremony in his office at the Capitol.
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