Morning, y’all! One reason I came to the AJC was because I sincerely think local journalism is an irreplaceable public service. After all, who knows what’s going on in town better than the people who are, you know, in town? Sometimes, that journalism gets a little heavy. But you always know it’s coming from people who are in it with you. Let’s get to it.
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COMMUNITIES REELING FROM ICE ENCOUNTERS
Credit: Miguel Martinez/ AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/ AJC
President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns have come to Georgia, bringing uncertainty and chaos as local leaders, organizations and families struggle to understand the scope of possible arrests and deportations.
What’s happening in Ga. communities:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made arrests in the metro Atlanta area and elsewhere in Georgia on Sunday, and other ICE operations have been reported around the state. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is working to get more details on the arrests, but some people the AJC talked to said family members apprehended by officers were here under asylum claims — a legal status — and had committed no significant crimes.
One family’s story
Wilson Velásquez, who said his family fled gang violence in Honduras, was arrested outside of a church in Tucker as a Sunday service ended. Though his family entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, they claimed asylum and his wife said they regularly kept up with ICE appointments in Atlanta. Velásquez wore an ankle monitor to remain compliant with federal policies.
Kenia Velásquez told the AJC her husband will be transferred to a detention center for deportation.
“My husband is a hardworking man,” she said. “We’re not hurting anybody. We’re good people.”
At least 20 people were arrested by ICE in the metro Atlanta area on Sunday, according to estimates from Mario Guevara, a Spanish language journalist with deep ties to immigrant communities, and people the AJC has spoken with.
🔎 Read more about the weekend’s arrests, including firsthand accounts from migrant families
In Fort Stewart, near Savannah, about 200 troops have been deployed to the U.S. Southern border. They are among the some 1,500 active-duty personnel from the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps that have been called to implement the president’s latest immigration measures.
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
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WHAT LOCAL LEADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE ICE ARRESTS
Credit: Ben Hendren/AJC
Credit: Ben Hendren/AJC
Gov. Brian Kemp: Kemp has supported Trump’s decision to rescind policies that kept federal immigration officials from making arrests in places such as churches and schools. In an interview during an overseas trade mission, Kemp said there should be “no safe haven” for people in the country illegally.
Education leaders: The news of an arrest at a church — long considered by many communities to be a place of sanctuary — led Lisa Morgan, the president of the Georgia Association of Educators, to predict that Atlanta-area schools could also be vulnerable to ICE apprehensions.
The heads of several Atlanta-area school districts have sent memos assuring families of their commitment to children’s safety. In a memo to families, Atlanta Public Schools cited The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects student privacy, including immigration status.
Local leaders: Churches and community organizations have been sharing resources and support for families affected by the arrests. Chamblee Mayor Brian Mock posted resources on social media for those who may have to interact with ICE.
“As Mayor, I’m elected to serve all of my community, whether you voted for me or not, papers or not, race, color, age, sexual identity, nationality, none of this matters a damn to me,” he wrote.
THE QUESTIONS THAT COME NEXT
We’ll be talking about this difficult topic all week here in A.M. ATL, and AJC journalists are fanned out in communities around the South to get the latest.
One question they’ll be pursuing is how President Trump’s orders recognize different immigration statuses. According to Guevara, many of the people who have been detained in the Atlanta area had asylum ankle monitors, indicating they were working within a legal immigration framework. Others had valid work permits.
Do you have questions about how these events are impacting your community? Let us know at tellus@ajc.com.
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DEKALB’S SEWER SYSTEMS ARE STILL A MESS
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
DeKalb County has dropped the ball on a promise to repair the area’s troublesome sewer systems by 2027, and people are mad about it. By people, I mean the U.S. Justice Department (and AJC columnist Bill Torpy). You know it’s bad when they’re shaking their heads. That’s to say nothing of the residents of DeKalb, who are likely more frustrated than anyone.
🔎 Torpy: DeKalb’s stinky saga that’s played through the decades
The dirty deets: Like many of Atlanta’s water woes, DeKalb’s sewer problems go back decades, marked by sewer overflows that regularly polluted the area’s waterways. In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency told DeKalb to stop dumping waste in streams. By 2020. That didn’t happen, so the county got an extension to 2027. Now that’s not going to happen either, despite billions of dollars poured into the project.
In response, U.S. Justice Department lawyer Patricia Hurst called out DeKalb’s “long history of institutional inertia.”
Now, the county is stuck with several problems: The longer the problem takes to get fixed, the more problems there will be. Bill Torpy talked to outgoing DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond, who blew the whistle to the feds that the 2027 deadline was out of the question. He told Torpy finding a solution to store wastewater is complex, expensive and could unfairly impact some neighborhoods if handled irresponsibly.
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OH, BY THE WAY
In 2022, Atlanta residents approved $750 million to go toward infrastructure updates and improvements to public facilities, parks and transportation projects. A recently released audit of the program found, in the last three years, only 10% of the funds have been spent.
🔎 Catch up with more must-know news from Atlanta City Hall
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MIGGY? IS THAT YOU?!
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
The manifestation circle worked! Miguel Almiron is apparently on his way back to Atlanta United, pending the completion of his transfer from Newcastle in England’s Premier League. The transfer will cost $12 million, including Almiron’s salary. But that means we’d get the 30-year-old Paraguayan soccer sweetheart’s famous smile back — along with his famous left foot. Worth it.
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NEWS BITES
8 former Georgia high school football starts are headed to the Super Bowl
What can we say? We grow ‘em well.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson is headed to the Pro Bowl games
I knew a guy who played in the NFL, and he said everyone loved going to the Pro Bowl. That’s not really a secret, but it hits different when it’s coming from a guy just shooting the breeze off the record instead of in front of a mic. Have fun in Orlando, Bijan!
She also has an unbeatable answer for those get-to-know-you icebreakers.
104.7 The Fish is closing up shop Jan. 31, said goodbye to fans this past weekend
I know it’s more contemporary Christian fare, but “Nearer My God to Thee” would be a legendary sign-off move.
Video: Step inside a new cabin design for some Delta Air Lines flights
Imagine being able to recline your seat without guaranteeing the lifelong hatred of the person behind you!
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ON THIS DATE:
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
From the Jan. 28, 1913 edition of the Atlanta Constitution: Had the audience at the Alamo theater last Saturday night known the real reason why the Belmont quartet ... changed to a trio, they would have offered their sincerest sympathy for the absence of the baritone. This singer, big, brave and strapping, was out in the stairway ... holding at bay an enraged opponent who strove desperately to whittle him up with a pocketknife.
Drama!
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ONE MORE THING
A few people have written in saying they don’t like the “y’all” in the introduction. I am assuming that is a slim minority, because the word y’all is awesome and so are, well, y’all. May I suggest these alternatives:
👽 Morning, earthlings!
😒 Hi, it’s us again, the news.
💕 Wakey wakey, snookums!
Or, of course, the worst possible option,
I hope this email finds you well …
Love y’all!
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tellus@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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