ATLANTA – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 1,226 people during an enhanced immigration enforcement operation conducted across Georgia, according to the agency.
The initiative, known as Operation Safe Community – Atlanta, targeted individuals unlawfully present in the United States, including hundreds with criminal charges or convictions involving offenses ranging from violent crimes and sexual offenses to drug and weapons violations.
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According to ICE, 720 of the 1,226 people arrested had either been convicted of or charged with crimes in the United States.
The criminal histories identified by the agency included sex offenses, crimes against children, aggravated assault, assault and battery, drug-related offenses, lewd and lascivious conduct, burglary, weapons violations and driving while intoxicated, among other crimes.
Patricia Hyde, acting assistant director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, said the operation was focused on removing individuals who posed potential threats to communities.
“Our officers did what they do best: they arrested and removed dangerous criminal offenders from American communities,” Hyde said.
She emphasized that all individuals detained during the operation were accused of violating U.S. immigration law, while more than 700 also had criminal histories in the United States.
“Removing these criminal alien offenders from Georgia neighborhoods makes for much safer communities, and that is exactly what the men and women of ICE work to accomplish every day across our great nation,” Hyde said.
The operation was carried out throughout Georgia as part of ICE’s broader immigration enforcement strategy, with officers focusing particularly on individuals with previous encounters with the criminal justice system.
ICE also reported that officers arrested five people at the address of a trucking company that the agency said was known for employing workers without legal immigration status.
The arrests at the trucking company highlight the broader scope of the operation, which extended beyond locating individuals with criminal records to enforcing federal immigration laws at workplaces and other locations where ICE identified potential violations.
Of the total number arrested, approximately 59 percent had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges in the United States, based on the figures released by ICE. The remaining individuals were arrested on immigration-related grounds.
ICE presented Operation Safe Community – Atlanta as part of its effort to prioritize public safety while enforcing federal immigration law throughout Georgia.
The agency said its officers will continue identifying, arresting and removing individuals who are subject to immigration enforcement, particularly those with criminal records or pending charges.
Operation Safe Community – Atlanta represents one of the larger recent immigration enforcement actions conducted in Georgia, with arrests taking place across multiple communities throughout the state.
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