Savannah migrant groups speak out against ICE operations

By Tia Maggio

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to carry out President Trump’s immigration crackdown, with the Atlanta DEA performing more immigration operations in collaboration with the Savannah DEA on Tuesday.

Local immigration organizations are reacting strongly to the increased activity. A Savannah migrant advocacy group claims these raids are spreading fear and disinformation within the community.

“The most present feeling right now is fear,” said Luisa Nolacso, an immigrant from Brazil and a representative of Migrant Equity Southeast, a Savannah-based immigration advocacy group.

Nolacso explains that many people she assists are overwhelmed with fear, and she knows individuals who have been directly affected by these recent raids.

“The hardest thing is that we deal with people that have fled their countries from very traumatic experiences and are now living their day-to-day in traumatic experience,” Nolacso shared. She is now speaking out against the raids, emphasizing their negative impact on the immigrant community.

“There are ill-intent agents for ICE that will racial profile people no matter what,” Nolacso claimed, arguing that many of those targeted are innocent individuals simply trying to live their lives.

“A lot of the people that people think are the bad people that need to leave this country are mothers, fathers, siblings, neighbors. They are just living their lives.”

However, not everyone agrees. Republicans like Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter defend the operations, highlighting their role in removing criminals from the country.

“They have deported a number of criminals that were in our country,” Carter stated.

Carter also emphasized the importance of securing the southern border: “To make sure that our southern border is secured to us, to not only stop the illegal immigrants who are coming across here, but to stop the flow of the illegal drugs that are coming across those borders.”

Carter was among those who voted to sign the Laken Riley Act into law. This legislation mandates that the Department of Homeland Security detain undocumented migrants for certain crimes. The act is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia student who was murdered last year by an undocumented migrant from Venezuela.

“Had this been in effect before this tragedy happened, Laken Riley… she’d still be alive. And that’s why it’s so important,” Carter said.

In related news, a judge has temporarily blocked President Trump’s birthright citizenship ban. His administration has appealed the decision.

Since President Trump took office, more than 3,500 undocumented migrants have been arrested, and that number continues to grow.

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