Resolutions regulating how ICE operates in Atlanta pass key city council committee vote

Two resolutions aimed at regulating how Immigration and Customs Enforcement works within Atlanta city limits have passed a key vote in the Atlanta City Council.

On Monday, the city council's Public Safety Committee unanimously voted to declare its opposition to any potential plan by the federal agency to purchase or convert warehouses within the city limits into detention facilities.

The move comes as the Department of Homeland Security is currently trying to turn warehouses in the small Georgia towns of Social Circle and Oakwood into facilities meant to house immigrant detainees. In those cities, officials have stated that they were not consulted by federal authorities and have raised concerns about the potential impact the large centers may have on their water supplies.

Atlanta's resolution specifically mentions the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pointing out that the city "seeks to welcome thousands of international visitors from across the globe" this summer.

"It is the desire of the Atlanta City Council for no municipal resources or property to be used to facilitate the establishment or expansion of immigration detention facilities within the corporate limits of the City of Atlanta," the resolution reads in part.

Other municipalities across the country have also passed similar resolutions to Atlanta's, including one in the nearby city of South Fulton.

So far, the DHS has not identified Atlanta as a city where it plans to build any detention facilities. The city was not named in documents provided to Social Circle about the agency's Detention Reengineering Initiative.

Officers could monitor ICE activities in Atlanta

The second resolution approved by the committee would require Atlanta police officers to document any federal immigration enforcement activities that occur within city limits.

As part of the resolution, officers will need to preserve any body camera footage during the incidents and file formal reports about any violations of Georgia or Atlanta law that the officers see.

The officers will also be required to render aid to anyone injured at the scene of federal immigration enforcement activities, no matter what the individual's immigration status or involvement in the activity is.

"In cases of suspected illegal misconduct by federal immigration agents, APD supervisors shall preserve all available evidence and, at the direction of the Mayor's Office and in coordination with the City Attorney, refer potential felony matters to the appropriate prosecutorial authority in accordance with Georgia law," the resolution reads.

That resolution also unanimously passed during Monday's session.

Both resolutions are expected to go before the full city council at its next meeting in April.