http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/28/immigration.georgia.mayor/Bridges is one of more than a dozen plaintiffs suing Georgia and its governor, trying to stop the state's new immigration law. They won a reprieve Monday when a federal judge temporarily blocked parts of the law scheduled to go into effect July 1.
The law, known as House Bill 87, gained steam quickly in the halls of Georgia's Capitol. Its backers argued that illegal immigrants were sucking away state resources, and that the U.S. government wasn't doing enough to enforce existing laws.
"This legislation is a responsible step forward in the absence of federal action. Illegal immigration places an incredible burden on Georgia taxpayers," Gov. Nathan Deal said after signing the bill last month.
Bridges says Deal is "fanning anti-immigrant sentiment without facts." "The immigrant community is a big part of the economy of Georgia," he says. "These people earn money and pay taxes just like the rest of us." "When I became mayor, I decided I was going to be the mayor for everybody, including people who have no voice otherwise."