Georgia lawmaker Buddy Carter urges higher ICE presence in Atlanta
Buddy Carter, R-Ga., leaves the House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter is calling on the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to increase the presence of federal law enforcement officers in Atlanta, citing what he describes as rising threats to public safety.
What we know:
In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the Republican lawmaker urged the agencies to bolster enforcement efforts due to what he called "rising levels of illegal immigrants." Carter referenced a report estimating that nearly 500,000 undocumented immigrants live in Georgia, ranking the state sixth in the nation.
What they're saying:
In the letter, Carter wrote, "Rising levels of illegal immigrants and increasing threats to public safety in Georgia highlight the urgent need for an enhanced ICE presence in Atlanta. Recently, ICE arrested Salvador Rodriguez-Mendoza, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico with an active arrest warrant for murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally... a mother of five children was brutally murdered by a criminal illegal alien from Honduras."
Carter, who represents a district that includes Savannah, is currently running for U.S. Senate in an effort to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.