Atlanta City Council passes resolutions to monitor ICE activity
Atlanta council passes resolutions targeting ICE
The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved two resolutions Tuesday aimed at monitoring federal immigration officials and opposing new detention facilities ahead of the World Cup.
ATLANTA - The Atlanta City Council unanimously passed two resolutions aimed at documenting every interaction involving federal immigration officials in the city before international visitors arrive for the World Cup.
Atlanta monitors federal agents
What we know:
The Atlanta City Council is pushing for more transparency regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Council members unanimously passed two resolutions that ask the Atlanta Police Department to create policies to document and record what ICE does in the city.
Councilman Antonio Lewis said the goal is to use police equipment to capture any interactions involving federal agents to protect immigrants and minorities.
The move comes after council members raised concerns about "aggressive tactics" used by the agency in cities like Minneapolis and Chicago.
What we don't know:
It is currently unclear how the Atlanta Police Department will implement these recording procedures or if the federal government will attempt to legally challenge the city's oversight.
Monitoring instead of fighting
What they're saying:
Council members say the goal is protection rather than a political fight. "Anything that happens in the City of Atlanta with ICE. If our APD is there, they should be able to capture it with this nice amazing equipment," Councilman Antonio Lewis said. Lewis added that the legislation was modeled after similar surveillance measures in Chicago, noting, "What we are doing, we are surveying ICE."
Future of the resolutions
What's next:
Because these measures are resolutions, they are not legally binding. Mayor Andre Dickens has until Thursday, April 23, to sign or veto the resolutions. If the mayor takes no action, the measures will take effect by the end of this week.
The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Aungelique Proctor gathered this information from an Atlanta City Council meeting and an interview with Councilman Antonio Lewis.