Homeland Security: 1,500 undocumented immigrants arrested in Georgia since January
Homeland Security officials say about 1,500 undocumented immigrants have been arrested in Georgia since January 22, a reflection of the Trump administration's hardline posture on illegal immigration.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Many of those arrested have already been convicted of serious crimes, including second-degree sexual abuse, sexual assault of a child and drug trafficking. Officials say one immigrant is a Venezuelan gang member wanted for murder in Illinois.
'If they are criminals, we are coming to get them,' said Steven Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta. 'And if they're not, and they're illegally present in the United States, they need to think well and hard about what their plan is for the future.'
That could include self-deportation, something officials at a Friday news briefing encouraged.
Kristen Sullivan is acting Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She said an app is now online from Customs and Border Protection to allow immigrants to report self-deportation without fear of arrest or other legal repercussions.
'We won't be coming out to your house and arresting you, arresting family members or people that you associate with,' she said. 'So you'll be able to leave on your own terms.'
TRENDING STORIES:
Kemp signs religious freedom bill into law as lawmakers scramble to get bill passed
The US must return a Maryland man mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison, judge says
As tariffs take effect, is trouble brewing for coffee roasters and drinkers?
The immigration crackdown has included a 10-day enforcement action called Operation Safeguard.
As part of the operation, federal agencies raided a flooring factory in Bartow County on March 26. The owner of Wellmade Manufacturing in Cartersville is accused of bringing hundreds of people from other countries, including China, and forcing them to work in the plant.
The operation also led to the arrest of five people – two of them undocumented immigrants – for firearms violations. Agents seized 13 guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, some of which were bound for Mexico.
'This administration has made immigration enforcement a significant priority and will continue to enforce the law on the books,' Schrank said.
The immigration crackdown involves enforcement at job sites. Officers arrested an undocumented immigrant from Mexico at a workplace who had previously been deported four times. Another undocumented immigrant has a criminal history that includes a conviction for multiple counts of sexual assault of a child.
'While no one should be present unlawfully in the United States, we are initially focusing efforts on those that impact our communities in a negative way,' Schrank said.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Democratic states double down on laws resisting Trump's immigration crackdown
As President Donald Trump's administration targets states and local governments for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities, lawmakers in some Democratic-led states are intensifying their resistance by strengthening state laws restricting such cooperation. In California alone, more than a dozen pro-immigrant bills passed either the Assembly or Senate this week, including one prohibiting schools from allowing federal immigration officials into nonpublic areas without a judicial warrant. Other state measures have sought to protect immigrants in housing, employment and police encounters, even as Trump's administration has ramped up arrests as part of his plan for mass deportations. In Connecticut, legislation pending before Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont would expand a law that already limits when law enforcement officers can cooperate with federal requests to detain immigrants. Among other things, it would let 'any aggrieved person' sue municipalities for alleged violations of the state's Trust Act. Two days after lawmakers gave final approval to the measure, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security included Connecticut on a list of hundreds of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The list later was removed from the department's website after criticism that it errantly included some local governments that support Trump's immigration policies. States split on whether to aid or resist Trump Since taking office in January, Trump has enlisted hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies to help identify immigrants in the U.S. illegally and detain them for potential deportation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement now lists 640 such cooperative agreements, a nearly fivefold increase under Trump. Trump also has lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools , churches and hospitals, and ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials believed to be interfering with his crackdown on illegal immigration. The Department of Justice sued Colorado, Illinois and New York, as well as several cities in those states and New Jersey , alleging their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws. Just three weeks after Colorado was sued, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a wide-ranging law expanding the state's protections for immigrants. Among other things, it bars jails from delaying the release of inmates for immigration enforcement and allows penalties of up to $50,000 for public schools, colleges, libraries, child care centers and health care facilities that collect information about people's immigration status, with some exceptions. Polis rejected the administration's description of Colorado as a 'sanctuary state,' asserting that law officers remain 'deeply committed' to working with federal authorities on criminal investigations. 'But to be clear, state and local law enforcement cannot be commandeered to enforce federal civil immigration laws,' Polis said in a bill-signing statement. Illinois also has continued to press pro-immigrant legislation. A bill recently given final approval says no child can be denied a free public education because of immigration status — something already guaranteed nationwide under a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision . Supporters say the state legislation provides a backstop in case court precedent is overturned. The bill also requires schools to develop policies on handling requests from federal immigration officials and allows lawsuits for alleged violations of the measure. Legislation supporting immigrants takes a variety of forms Democratic-led states are pursuing a wide range of means to protect immigrants. A new Oregon law bars landlords from inquiring about the immigration status of tenants or applicants. New laws in Washington declare it unprofessional conduct for bail bond agents to enforce civil immigration warrants, prohibit employers from using immigration status to threaten workers and let employees use paid sick leave to attend immigration proceedings for themselves or family members. Vermont last month repealed a state law that let law enforcement agencies enter into immigration enforcement agreements with federal authorities during state or national emergencies. They now need special permission from the governor to do so. As passed by the House, Maryland legislation also would have barred local governments from reaching immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government. That provision was removed in the Senate following pushback from some of the seven Maryland counties that currently have agreements. The final version, which took effect as law at the start of June, forbids public schools and libraries from granting federal immigration authorities access to nonpublic areas without a judicial warrant or 'exigent circumstances.' Maryland Del. Nicole Williams said residents' concerns about Trump's immigration policies prompted her to sponsor the legislation. 'We believe that diversity is our strength, and our role as elected officials is to make sure that all of the residents within our community — regardless of their background — feel safe and comfortable,' Williams said. Many new measures reinforce existing policies Though legislation advancing in Democratic states may shield against Trump's policies, 'I would say it's more so to send a message to immigrant communities to let them know that they are welcome,' said Juan Avilez, a policy associate at the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit advocacy group. In California, a law that took effect in 2018 already requires public schools to adopt policies 'limiting assistance with immigration enforcement to the fullest extent possible.' Some schools have readily applied the law. When DHS officers attempted a welfare check on migrant children at two Los Angeles elementary schools in April, they were denied access by both principals. Legislation passed by the state Senate would reinforce such policies by specifically requiring a judicial warrant for public schools to let immigration authorities into nonpublic areas, allow students to be questioned or disclose information about students and their families. 'Having ICE in our schools means that you'll have parents who will not want to send their kids to school at all,' Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener said in support of the bill. But some Republicans said the measure was 'injecting partisan immigration policies' into schools. 'We have yet to see a case in California where we have scary people in masks entering schools and ripping children away,' said state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil. 'Let's stop these fear tactics that do us an injustice.' ___ Associated Press writers Susan Haigh, Trân Nguyễn, Jesse Bedayn, John O'Connor and Brian Witte contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
an hour ago
Judge says administration can dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services
WASHINGTON -- A federal judge on Friday denied a request by the American Library Association to halt the Trump administration's further dismantling of an agency that funds and promotes libraries across the country, saying that recent court decisions suggested his court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon had previously agreed to temporarily block the Republican administration, saying that plaintiffs were likely to show that Trump doesn't have the legal authority to unilaterally shutter the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which was created by Congress. But in Friday's ruling, Leon wrote that as much as the 'Court laments the Executive Branch's efforts to cut off this lifeline for libraries and museums,' recent court decisions suggested that the case should be heard in a separate court dedicated to contractual claims. He cited the Supreme Court's decision allowing the administration to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in teacher-training money despite a lower court order barring the cuts, saying that cases seeking reinstatement of federal grants should be heard in the Court of Federal Claims. The American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a lawsuit to stop the administration from gutting the institute after President Donald Trump signed a March 14 executive order that refers to it and several other federal agencies as 'unnecessary.' The agency's appointed acting director then placed many agency staff members on administrative leave, sent termination notices to most of them, began canceling grants and contracts and fired all members of the National Museum and Library Services Board. The institute has roughly 75 employees and issued more than $266 million in grants last year. However, a Rhode Island judge's order prohibiting the government from shutting down the museum and library services institute in a separate case brought by several states remains in place. The administration is appealing that order as well.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Trump orders FAA to remove supersonic flight restrictions: ‘Bold new chapter in aerospace innovation'
President Trump is boosting supersonic aviation in the United States. An executive order the commander in chief signed Friday directs the Federal Aviation Administration to repeal a 1973 rule prohibiting overland supersonic flight, establish new noise standards for aircraft and remove other regulations that get in the way of the development of high-speed planes. 'The United States stands at the threshold of a bold new chapter in aerospace innovation,' the president wrote in the order. Advertisement 'For more than 50 years, outdated and overly restrictive regulations have grounded the promise of supersonic flight over land, stifling American ingenuity, weakening our global competitiveness, and ceding leadership to foreign adversaries.' 3 'President Trump is Making Aviation Great Again,' the White House said of the his executive order. AFP via Getty Images Trump argued that advances in engineering and technology have now made supersonic air travel 'not just possible, but safe, sustainable, and commercially viable.' Advertisement 'This order begins a historic national effort to reestablish the United States as the undisputed leader in high-speed aviation,' the president declared. 'By updating obsolete standards and embracing the technologies of today and tomorrow, we will empower our engineers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to deliver the next generation of air travel, which will be faster, quieter, safer, and more efficient than ever before.' Under current FAA rules, only military aircraft – flying in specially designated areas – are allowed to break the sound barrier over land. The 1973 ban on overland supersonic flight was primarily due to the disruptive impact of the sonic booms produced when aircraft exceed the speed of sound. 3 Boom Supersonic hopes to develop a commercially viable supersonic aircraft. AP Advertisement 3 The FAA banned supersonic flights over the United States in 1973, over noise concerns. Chad Robertson – However, new technology has enabled one aircraft maker, Boom Supersonic, to develop a plane that can cruise above Mach 1 without emitting a sonic boom. 'Supersonic is back, baby!' Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl wrote on X, noting that in January, his company's XB-1 aircraft became the first privately developed supersonic jet to break the sound barrier. 'And today…[Trump] broke the sound barrier…permanently!' he added. Advertisement Scholl argued that the ban on supersonic flight has 'crippled progress' in aviation for half a century, but with Trump's order in place, 'The supersonic race is on and a new era of commercial flight can begin.' 'By removing decades-old regulatory barriers and promoting cutting-edge supersonic technology, President Trump is Making Aviation Great Again,' the White House said in a statement.
