Small Georgia Town Is at the Center of Latest ICE Fight
Reagan Campbell /
Democrat lawmakers in Georgia have proposed legislation to prevent taxpayer money from being used to build U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in the state.
Georgia state Sen. Jaha Howard introduced the bill in response to ICE’s reported plans to build facilities in Social Circle and Oakwood. He was joined by state Sen. RaShaun Kemp and South Fulton City Councilwoman Helen Zenobia Willis to announce the legislation.
“We are here because of a proposal of a 10,000-bed detention facility in a town with fewer than 5,000 residents. That should give every Georgian pause,” Howard said, according to CBS News Atlanta.
The South Fulton City Council recently voted to move forward with zoning changes aimed at blocking ICE detention facilities. The Department of Homeland Security, however, plans to continue expanding detention space in Georgia.
The local opposition follows President Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of illegal aliens—and backlash that has ensued in communities like Minneapolis, where protests led to violent confrontations with ICE.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll last week revealed that 61% of Americans support the deportation of illegal aliens, even as an equal number don’t agree with ICE’s tactics.
Working Together
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said the administration valued collaboration with local leaders.
“Secretary [Kristi] Noem has stated that she is willing to work with officials on both sides of the aisle to expand detention space to help ICE law enforcement carry out the largest deportation effort in American history,” McLaughlin said.
She added that “ICE is targeting criminal illegal aliens, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members and more,” noting that 70% of ICE arrests involve illegal aliens charged with or convicted of a crime in the United States.
“Thanks to the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,’ ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities,” she said.
Georgia state Rep. Houston Gaines told The Daily Signal that he has worked closely with ICE to promote public safety in Georgia.
“In the wake of Laken Riley’s murder, I led the effort in the Georgia House to pass House Bill 1105, legislation that mandates cooperation between local and state law enforcement and federal immigration authorities,” Gaines said. “It includes criminal penalties for any local officials who fail to do so. The goal was simple: ensure that criminals who are in this country illegally are identified, reported, and removed.”
“In Georgia, the law is clear: Law enforcement must cooperate. Period,” Gaines added. “And the results are undeniable.”
Moving Forward
McLaughlin encouraged state and local law enforcement agencies to sign 287(g) agreements, which allow cooperation with ICE to identify and remove criminal illegal aliens.
“Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country,” she said.
McLaughlin also said seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE and noted that local law enforcement cooperation has led to 40,000 arrests in Florida.
Big Picture
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., has made his views on ICE clear, calling the agency a “beast” that would “consume the bodies of ordinary citizens.”
Brandy Perez Carbaugh, a research assistant with the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, criticized leaders in Georgia for their lack of cooperation.
“Lawmakers should stop virtue signaling by proposing bills that impede on the federal government’s ability to enforce the law and instead protect the people they represent, not illegal foreigners,” Carbaugh said.
The fight between federal and local officials in Georgia mirrors the national debate over immigration enforcement and the role of ICE.
While Democrats argue the agency poses risks to communities, Republicans maintain it is essential for public safety. As both sides dig in, immigration policy is likely to remain one of the most contentious issues in American politics.