ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council is expected to vote Monday on two resolutions tied to federal immigration enforcement activity in the city after weeks of discussions between city officials and concerned residents.
The legislation is modeled after policies in Chicago. Councilman Antonio Lewis, a co-sponsor, said the language was drafted months ago before ICE agents came to Atlanta to assist with airport security.
“We actually found a legislation of a city that was similar to the city of Atlanta, like Chicago, and we found what they’re doing best,” Lewis said. “This legislation literally is what happens after ICE is on the ground.”
One resolution requests the police chief establish policies and procedures to promote transparency and accountability in immigration enforcement activities, including preserving body camera footage when Atlanta police are present.
“It includes provisions by which APD officers would preserve; we’re just asking them to preserve APD body worn camera footage and capture doing federal immigration enforcement activities where APD is present,” Lewis said.
A second resolution would declare the city council’s opposition to any new or expanded ICE detention facilities in Atlanta.
This comes weeks after ICE announced plans for detention centers in Social Circle and Oakwood were put on hold. The federal agency has not indicated it plans to build a facility in Atlanta.
Lewis said he moved forward with the legislation after similar protections failed at the state level.
“That legislation that would have protected the local, because we’ve got the federal folks in here trying to do what they want to, so that legislation that would have protected us, the state didn’t get through,” he said.
Community members have also voiced concerns in recent weeks. David Serrano spoke at an Atlanta Public Safety Committee meeting.
“These ICE prisons are just the tip of a very large iceberg headed directly for Atlanta,” Serrano said. “Keep ICE detention centers out of Atlanta, paving the way for Georgia, the south.”
The Atlanta City Council is expected to take action on the resolutions Monday.
WSB Radio’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story.
