Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

In Gwinnett County, a split on Trump immigration crackdown

091615 LAWRENCEVILLE: Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway holds a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, in Lawrenceville. Conway is an enthusiastic supporter of a program allowing local law enforcement agencies to check the immigration status of prisoners. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
091615 LAWRENCEVILLE: Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway holds a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, in Lawrenceville. Conway is an enthusiastic supporter of a program allowing local law enforcement agencies to check the immigration status of prisoners. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
By Christian Boone
March 28, 2017

Gwinnett's police department is unlikely to join President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.

But the county's jail is run by one of the program's more enthusiastic backers. Sheriff Butch Conway is already checking the immigration status of those who land behind bars in the diverse county.

His department is one of just a handful of agencies authorized to continue the program after it was suspended in 2014.

Gwinnett sheriff issues scathing statement: 'All lives matter'

Trump wants to expand the so-called 287 (g) program as he seeks to give local law enforcement a larger role in immigration enforcement.

The Gwinnett sheriff's office said it had questioned nearly 40,000 inmates about their immigration status and placed detainers for ICE on 13,346 people since 2009.

To learn more about the program and which metro Atlanta counties are participating read the full story at myajc.com

About the Author

A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.

Follow Christian Boone on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

The homeless encampment on Pryor Street, beneath the Interstate 20 underpass in downtown Atlanta, is shown on Thursday, May 1, 2025, four days before the city closed the camp and offered housing to its occupants. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Judge: Arrests could result from plan to end homelessness in downtown Atlanta before World Cup

Atlanta is scrambling to create housing for homeless people before the World Cup arrives, but a judge says the plan could lead to some arrests of homeless people.

3 men shot at DeKalb shopping center, police say

One victim has critical injuries from incident at Hairston Square shopping plaza, officials say.

2h ago

Nephew charged with murder in man’s fatal shooting in DeKalb

Police found a man, later identified as Roderick Crowley, 48, who had been shot and died of his injuries. The later arrested his nephew for the crime.

The Latest

The triple shooting happened in the 1100 block of South Hairston Road. (Caroline Silva/AJC)

Credit: Caroline Silva/AJC

3 men shot at DeKalb shopping center, police say

2h ago

Atlanta doctor hit with $2M verdict for Instagram posts of decapitated baby

Nephew charged with murder in man’s fatal shooting in DeKalb

Featured

Instructor Daniel Jean-Baptiste reminds students to "measure twice, cut once" while using a hand saw at the Construction Ready accelerated summer program at Westside Works in Atlanta on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The program provides training for careers in construction and the skilled trades. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Accelerated summer program prepares Georgia students for construction careers

Through a partnership with Construction Ready, Westside Works offers students a chance to learn construction skills in just four weeks. The course normally takes 6-8 months.

Aflac discloses cybersecurity breach, the latest to rattle insurance sector

Insurance giant Aflac Inc. disclosed Friday it suffered a cybersecurity breach as part of a hacking crime spree targeting the insurance industry.

Planned Slutty Vegan airport location is a no-go after chain’s restructuring

Multiple Slutty Vegan locations have recently closed over the past few years.