Georgia passed a bill giving state law enforcement and businesses broader authority to identify undocumented immigrants, after a similar effort in Arizona was blocked by federal courts.

Under the legislation, police are allowed to verify the immigration status of people suspected of certain crimes and arrest those in the country illegally. It also would require businesses with at least 10 employees to use a federal database to check that new hires are authorized to work in the U.S.

“We don’t mind taking care of people, let’s just take care of our own people,” Renee Unterman, Republican Senator from Buford, said on the floor of the legislature in Atlanta yesterday. “I don’t want to take care of Mexico’s people that are here illegally.”

The legislation passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate last night. Governor Nathan Deal intends to sign the bill, a spokesman, Brian Robinson, said in an e-mail today.