Laken Riley Act to become law, Trump’s use of power and Georgia voter trends

The White House is preparing for President Donald Trump to sign the Laken Riley Act this afternoon. The measure, named for the Georgia nursing student murdered in Athens by an undocumented immigrant, requires local law enforcement to turn over immigrants to ICE for even minor offenses. On today’s episode of Politically Georgia, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell speak with Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz about the new law and its impact on communities.

Later, we turn to UGA political science professor Charles Bullock, who weighs in on Trump’s first week in office and whether any president in modern history has exerted executive power as forcefully as Trump has so far.

Finally, we talk to representatives from Keep Our Republic, an organization focused on election integrity. They share insights from a focus group in Baldwin County, where voters—who had backed Democratic presidential candidates for 20 years—flipped and gave Trump a majority in 2024.

Links to today’s topics:

Laken Riley Act: What does the immigration bill actually do? 

Here’s what we know – and don’t know – about Trump’s federal funding freeze in Georgia 

Trump’s executive orders are already beginning to change Georgia policy  

Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.

Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”    

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices