ICE makes arrests in metro Atlanta, announces 'targeted operations' here and elsewhere

Ashley Ahn and Miguel Martinez, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jan 26, 2025

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sunday made arrests in metro Atlanta and elsewhere.

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with federal partners including the FBI, ATF and DEA, began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in Atlanta to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities,” an agency spokesperson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Some arrests took place on Buford Highway in Chamblee and Brookhaven, Telemundo reported. Others happened in Lilburn and Tucker, community members told the AJC.

The FBI Atlanta Field Office said in a statement, “The FBI, along with our Department of Justice partners, is assisting DHS and other federal law enforcement partners with their immigration enforcement efforts.”

It’s not clear how many arrests were made. The AJC is seeking details from federal agencies and local police. ICE also announced “targeted operations” in Chicago on Sunday.

Walter Valladares, 52, originally from Honduras, was arrested at his home in Lilburn, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, on Sunday morning, his brother Edwin Valladares told the AJC.

Walter Valladares entered the U.S. about a year and a half ago, was in the process of seeking asylum and has no criminal record except for a traffic violation, Edwin Valladares said.

“My brother is not a criminal,” he said. “He is a family man.”

President Donald Trump’s first days in office ushered in a flurry of policy changes, including his promised immigration crackdown. He has issued executive orders seeking to halt birthright citizenship — a measure temporarily blocked by a federal judge — and remove people who are in the country unlawfully under an expedited process. On his second day in office, Trump rescinded policies that kept federal immigration officials from arresting undocumented immigrants in sensitive locations such as churches, hospitals and schools.

Since Trump took office, ICE has made more than 1,400 arrests nationwide, the agency said.

Some of metro Atlanta’s largest school districts have addressed community concerns of students' safety in schools.

“Considering recent federal actions, I want to assure you that the Board of Education and I remain committed to the safety and success of all students in the DeKalb County School District,” Superintendent Devon Q. Horton said in a recent message to parents. “We have informed our staff that if immigration authorities visit their school, they should be directed immediately to a school administrator, who will then contact the DCSD Police Department and document the visit. As with any unauthorized visitor, entrance beyond the main office and access to students or their information is prohibited without a court order or exigent circumstances.”

Gwinnett County superintendent Calvin J. Watts said a in a message to parents that “by law, a child’s immigration status (or that of their parents) does not affect their right to receive a public education” and assured them that “we stand united in our responsibility to uphold the dignity, rights and safety of each and every student.”

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