ICE, tariffs and the Fulton raid: What to look for in Trump’s SOTU address

President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union address comes at an interesting time in the president’s bumpy relationship with Georgia.

He won the state in 2016, lost it in 2020 and won it again in 2024. In between, he’s been arrested and charged with trying to interfere with elections here, feuded with key political figures, and most recently, instructed the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate his claims that his 2020 loss here was the result of fraud.

That’s a lot.

Here are a few things to watch for tonight.

Fulton County

Last month, the FBI raided a warehouse in south Fulton County, carting off more than 650 boxes of documents, including all the ballots cast in the 2020 election, and removed them to an undisclosed location.

The Justice Department is looking into allegations of intentional miscounts by Fulton County officials in the presidential election, which Trump has continually insisted — without evidence — was rife with fraud.

The controversy is playing out in federal court. Fulton County has filed a motion to compel the Justice Department to return the ballots, and the judge in the case has ordered parties to his courtroom Friday to argue their cases.

Trump could use the State of the Union to renew his attacks on Fulton or pressure the judge in the case. As president, Trump has shown he is not above excoriating or trying to influence the judiciary. On Friday, he blasted the U.S. Supreme Court as disloyal and unpatriotic after the court ruled against his administration’s tariff policy.

Tariffs

Speaking of one of Trump’s favorite words, tariffs continue to impact Georgia, which has two of the nation’s busiest commercial ports as well as its busiest airport. Levies on imported goods have a specific impact on the state’s economy.

Experts and watchdogs calculate Trump’s tariff policies have cost Georgia consumers and businesses $13 billion through the end of last year.

Trump responded to the Supreme Court’s decision striking down his use of emergency powers to impose tariffs by applying a global 10% tariff under another federal law. Trump later said he would increase the import tax to 15%.

It’s highly likely Trump will address the topic in his address before a joint session of Congress tonight. Georgia business leaders will no doubt be watching to get an idea of what they can expect.

Immigration

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently inked a deal to turn a massive industrial warehouse in Social Circle into an immigration detention center. A second facility is in the works for Hall County.

Some in the impacted areas have expressed distress over the plans, with officials worried that using industrial sites to house detainees is not safe and will stress local infrastructure.

A fatal crash in Savannah that killed a local schoolteacher has further focused attention on the state. The driver was facing deportation.

Trump could seize on that incident as proof that his aggressive policies on immigration are needed.