Local elected officials and Atlanta-area residents rallied on the south steps of the Georgia State Capitol on Tuesday afternoon amid growing tensions stemming from the increased violence and presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the U.S. The latest violent incident involves 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, who was killed when an ICE agent shot into her vehicle on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an immigration sweep.
The fatal ICE-involved shooting sparked protests nationwide. This is the second rally in Atlanta, coming days after The Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Atlanta Branch and Immigrant Rights Alliance held a demonstration at the Capitol to bring awareness to Good’s death.
Senate Minority Whip Kim Jackson (D–Stone Mountain) held the press conference alongside members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, including Sen. Josh McLaurin, Sen. Sheika Rahman, and Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones, to introduce legislation aimed at protecting Georgia residents. Attendees held signs calling for “No Masks, No Murders and No Militia” and “No ICE” as the officials introduced three Senate Bills: SB 391, 397, and 389.
“We cannot continue to allow the President to abuse the patriotism of the troops,” Jones said. “We must build a wall against him, and the legislation presented here today is a step towards protecting all U.S. citizens and making sure that we continue to pursue American ideals and goals.”
SB 391 restricts immigration enforcement without a warrant in “sensitive” areas such as schools, hospitals, places of worship, libraries, and family violence shelters to protect due process, child safety, and community stability. SB 397 creates a civil cause of action against federal officials who violate constitutional rights. The last bill introduced, SB 389, requires ICE agents to unmask and display identifying badges to reduce fear amongst the community and ensure accountability during enforcement actions.
“I’m dropping this bill today for all of the children who now grieve because their parents have either been deported, are somewhere in a detention center, or they’ve simply disappeared because they’re afraid that ICE might find them,” Jackson said. “Today, we are calling for ICE to be unmasked to end the terror and to end the fear.”
Atlanta resident Deja Hall said she visited the State Capitol for the first time on Tuesday to attend the press conference and understand how she can help immigrants in the city.
“When I think of immigrants, I think of people like me, too,” Hall said. “They’re not just trying to push out the Hispanics; it’s everybody. It’s Africans. It’s people from everywhere. I just want to hear what we can do as a community so that we can proceed to go the right way.”
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