ICE is not welcome in Atlanta. Its presence will make residents less safe.
Re: “We need a greater ICE presence in Atlanta to keep the city safe,” by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-District 1.
On Jan. 24, this country witnessed federal agents attack, remove a lawfully carried firearm from and extinguish the life of 37-year-old Alex Pretti — a father, nurse, American citizen and bystander — in the streets of Minneapolis.
On Jan. 7, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and killed an unarmed 37-year-old American woman, Renee Nicole Good, while she was in her car in a south Minneapolis neighborhood.
The Trump Administration refuses to investigate the shooting and is investigating Ms. Good’s spouse and elected officials in Minnesota.
My colleague from the Savannah area, Congressman Carter, seems to have little regard for the safety of my constituents. His call for ICE to come to my District would bring this exact same violence to Atlanta, making my constituents less safe and harming the economy of Georgia’s Fighting Fifth Congressional District.
Citizens’ civil rights are being violated in Minnesota
We have watched in horror what continues to unfold in Minnesota — ICE and other masked federal agents in military gear have brought chaos and fear to communities.
These federal agents have ignored basic human rights under the guise of enforcement activity. ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents have indiscriminately arrested — without warrants or probable cause — Minnesotans solely because the agents perceived them to be Somali or Latino.
The Trump administration has a policy of racially profiling, unlawfully seizing, and unlawfully arresting people without a warrant and without probable cause.
The massive presence of ICE agents has disrupted civic life in the Twin Cities. Minnesotans are at risk of being stopped by ICE while going to work, shopping for groceries or even taking their children to school.
ICE is now claiming the right to ignore the Fourth Amendment, and that agents do not need judicial warrants to invade people’s homes or make arrests.
ICE would harm Atlanta’s civic life, economy
Minnesotans, in response to these unlawful attacks on their neighbors and community members, showed up to observe and protest.
Federal agents countered with harassment, intimidation, force and detention. ICE and other federal agents have followed peaceful protesters to their homes, used chemical irritants and rubber bullets on them, and have even arrested people for standing on the public sidewalk and observing them.
This is the lawless behavior Buddy Carter wishes on Atlanta families. It would be disruptive to civic life and damaging to the convention and sports tourism industry that helps our region thrive.
As members of Congress, we should be holding ICE accountable for its violent terror campaign, not inviting them to bring cruelty and chaos to more communities.
We, as representatives to vast communities of people, working families, and seekers of the promise of America, have the responsibility to use every tool at our disposal to dismantle this violent governmental agency.
We do this by using Congress’ power of the purse to halt funding for ICE, and by removing the inept Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Anything less is a stamp of approval of the reckless government-sanctioned violence taking place across our country.
Congresswoman Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta, serves Georgia’s Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
