Federal immigration authorities arrest 12 undocumented workers at Marietta nail salon
Homeland Security Investigations agents raid Luxx Nail Lounge, located at 2769 Chastain Meadows Parkway NW in Cobb County on June 4, 2025. (Homeland Security Investigations )
MARIETTA, Ga. - Federal immigration authorities arrested a dozen undocumented immigrants working at a metro Atlanta nail salon this week, as part of an ongoing wave of immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.
What we know:
Federal immigration authorities arrested a dozen undocumented immigrants working at a metro Atlanta nail salon this week, as part of an ongoing wave of immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the operation at Luxx Nail Lounge, located at 2769 Chastain Meadows Parkway NW, and arrested 12 individuals accused of working in the United States without authorization.
What they're saying:
"Hiring illegal aliens is a federal crime that undermines fair labor, exploits the vulnerable, and threatens public safety," HSI Atlanta said in a statement. "Employers will be held accountable."
What we don't know:
It is not clear if any local law enforcement agencies participated in the incident.
It was not yet known if the company will face any penalities.
Local perspective:
The arrests come amid a broader immigration crackdown driven by President Trump’s second-term policies, which have intensified enforcement efforts nationwide and placed Georgia at the center of the administration’s agenda.
In January, Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by an undocumented immigrant. The law mandates detention and potential deportation of noncitizens charged with crimes such as theft or assault, even before conviction. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over alleged immigration enforcement failures.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later identified multiple Georgia jurisdictions—including Atlanta, Athens-Clarke, DeKalb, Douglas, and Fulton counties—as so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions" for their limited cooperation with federal immigration officials. While those areas faced potential cuts in federal funding, the list was removed from the DHS website after local leaders challenged the accuracy of the designations.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has since ordered all 1,100 state troopers and officers with the Department of Public Safety to participate in the federal 287(g) program, giving them authority to enforce certain immigration laws.
Meanwhile, legal and civil liberties challenges continue to mount. Seventeen international students filed a lawsuit in Atlanta’s federal court claiming their visas were revoked by ICE without due process. The case is ongoing.
The intensifying policies have drawn criticism and protests. In February, roughly 1,000 people rallied along Buford Highway in Atlanta to protest the enforcement measures and express support for immigrant communities.
Big picture view:
One of President Trump’s more sweeping measures, Executive Order 14159, titled "Protecting The American People Against Invasion," expanded the use of expedited removals and restricted funding to sanctuary cities. His administration also invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected gang members, including over 100 migrants transferred to a prison in El Salvador. A federal judge has since ruled those individuals must be allowed to challenge their deportations in court.
In another initiative, DHS introduced a voluntary departure program offering $1,000 and travel support to undocumented immigrants willing to return to their home countries. The administration has also pushed to deport some migrants to third countries, though that effort remains under judicial review.
SEE ALSO:
- ICE chief says agents have to wear masks because of threats
- DHS removes federal list of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' that included Georgia cities, counties
- Supreme Court lets Trump end humanitarian parole for over 500K immigrants
- US to revoke some Chinese student visas, expand social media vetting for Communist Party ties
- Dalton college student on immigration case: 'I do live in fear now. So does my family.'
The Source: HSI Atlanta provided the details for this article along with previous reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta.