ICE Raids in Atlanta Confirmed: Were They in Brookhaven?

BROOKHAVEN, GA -- U.S. immigration officers conducted raids in several cities, including Atlanta, federal officials confirmed Monday.

"Last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a series of targeted enforcement operations across the country," Rachael Yong Yow, a spokeswoman for ICE said in a statement.

More than 680 people were picked up in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, New York City and Atlanta, Yow said. All of the cities targeted have significant immigrant populations.

The announcement is in line with anecdotal evidence over the weekend that suggests that several local areas, including Brookhaven, were focal points of the raids. One of the small city's main arteries is Buford Highway, known for its large immigrant population, particularly of Hispanic descent.

"It’s clear that this type of activity disrupts families and communities," Marie F. Marquardt, scholar-in-residence at Emory University's Candler School of Theology and immigrant advocate, told Patch. "We should keep in mind that many of the immigrants targeted for deportation have family members who are U.S. citizens. These citizens, whether spouses or children, rely on them for both emotional and financial support.”

The sweeps are the first sign of enforcement of the Trump Administration's hard line on immigrants, something that Trump promised during his campaign.

Social media posts by activists and concerned citizens claimed that ICE federal agents were going door to door in apartment complexes along the busy Buford Highway thoroughfare. Users also were circulating rules of engagement with ICE officers. The tactics include not letting agents inside your home, asking for a warrant and pleading the Fifth Amendment.

A fact sheet released Monday by ICE said that almost 200 "unlawfully present foreign nationals" were arrested last week in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

"Of the 190 unlawfully present aliens arrested by ERO Atlanta, 127 had prior criminal convictions in addition to their illegal immigration status," ICE said.

One of those arrested in metro Atlanta had previously pleaded guilty to felony cocaine distribution, federal officials said.

The Brookhaven police have not been asked to participate in the raids, the department said on Facebook. They noted that outside agencies "routinely" come into Brookhaven to conduct "activities."

"The Brookhaven Police Department is aware that certain social media sites are buzzing over recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in the Brookhaven area. We are aware that ICE has been working in our city and surrounding cities. At this time, ICE has not requested for any assistance from our agency while serving warrants in Brookhaven."

"Outside agencies from the local, state, and federal levels routinely come in to Brookhaven to serve warrants. At times, they will ask for our assistance in order to provide a more visual 'police' presence through the use of our marked patrol car, or to supplement their resources for officer safety purposes. We will continue to assist those agencies that contact us for help while operating inside Brookhaven," the police force said.

The operations, which were conducted Monday through Friday, targeted public safety threats, such as convicted criminals and gang members, federal officials said. ICE said that only a quarter of those detained in the half dozen cities it targeted did not have felony convictions.

The ICE raids are a particularly contentious issue as opponents say the sweeps are breaking up families and targeted people with no criminal records. The mayor of Los Angeles has pledged to assist families affected by the operations.

To be sure, the Obama Administration deported more immigrants than any other president in his eight years, especially during his first term. But the recent roundups -- set against a backdrop of dangerous and vitriolic rhetoric against the foreign-born -- have sparked panic among many immigrant populations.

“The families I have spoken with are determined to continue with their daily routine, and not to be overcome by fear," Marquardt, a professor at Emory, told Patch. "They have lived for many years with uncertainty about the future, but they persist in hoping for a chance to participate more fully in the life of this nation. They are ready and willing to become lawful residents. But, they also know that the future looks grim for constructive immigration reform, so they are getting prepared."

Marquardt is also a co-chair of El Fugio, a nonprofit organization that helps immigrants detained at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia.

Image via Pixabay