Gwinnett sheriff defends ICE cooperation under new state law

Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor on HB 1105

Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor defended his office’s immigration enforcement policies during a press conference Thursday morning, following criticism from state lawmakers and community groups over the implementation of House Bill 1105.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor defended his office’s immigration enforcement policies during a press conference Thursday morning, following criticism from state lawmakers and community groups over the implementation of House Bill 1105.

Sheriff Taylor on HB 1105

What they're saying:

"My first responsibility is to protect the rights of residents who call Gwinnett County home," Taylor said. "This means enforcing laws that are built to build trust across our communities."

"We knew 1105 was going to be a bill that was not a popular field, whether we like it or not," Taylor said.

The sheriff acknowledged concerns surrounding the new state law, which requires local jails to coordinate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when inmates are suspected of being in the country without legal authorization. "Whether we like it or not, it is now state law," he said. "I have an obligation to enforce state law. I don’t have a choice."

Sheriff Taylor emphasized that the law does not mean his deputies are conducting immigration raids. "We are not going out doing any type of immigration raids. We’re not pulling cars over looking for immigration identification," he said. "If someone comes in under legitimate charges and ICE places a detainer, we’re going to honor that."

The sheriff responded directly to criticism from State Reps. Marvin Lim and Jasmine Clark, who has accused his office of lacking transparency following the meeting on Monday. "Neither one of those two individuals attended our meeting, and they had invitations to be here," Taylor said. "To go out and make a statement like that, and you were not even here, is totally irresponsible."

Chief Cleo Atwater also spoke, explaining that the jail staff follows specific procedures under HB 1105 when someone is suspected of being foreign-born. "The booking techs look at documentation, responses during intake, and data from NCIC/GCIC checks," Atwater said. "If there’s suspicion and the person can’t prove otherwise, we’re required to send their information to ICE."

Taylor reiterated that his office has worked hard to earn trust within immigrant communities. "We don’t care about your immigration status," he said. "If you are the victim of a crime, we are here to help." He also pointed to community engagement efforts and outreach programs as evidence of his commitment.

The sheriff also addressed the ongoing case of journalist Mario Guevara, who remains in ICE custody after charges against him were dropped in Gwinnett County. Taylor confirmed his office obtained a search warrant for Guevara’s seized phones and said, "Now that the charges have been dropped, it’s up to his attorney to file the proper paperwork to have the phones returned."

"I’ve been clear from day one," Taylor said in closing. "We will enforce the law fairly, impartially, and without prejudice. Judge me based on what we do, not what you hear."

Taylor emphasized that while the law mandates cooperation in specific cases, it does not mean his deputies are conducting ICE-led operations. Instead, the sheriff’s office is required to relay information to federal officials during criminal investigations if there is suspicion a person is foreign-born and lacks proper documentation.

"If there's a suspicion that they are foreign born, the bill tells us that we have to send information to LESC if in fact they don't have certain documentation or can prove that they are not foreign born," said Chief Cleo Atwater of the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff also clarified that his office holds individuals on ICE detainers for no more than 48 hours, in accordance with the law.

"We're not holding people here, you know, to let ICE or anybody else decide whether or not, you know, we may come get them, we may not come get them," Taylor said. "We're going to stay within the confinements of the law."

Georgia lawmaker blasts sheriff's office

The other side:

State Rep. Marvin Lim, D-Norcross, is calling out the sheriff's office for what he believes is an inconsistent following of policy.

"At times, the sheriff's office has said it cooperates with ICE when mutually beneficial. Yet at other times, the office has said there is essentially no documentation or evidence of such cooperation. His failure to be transparent is evident in the fact that he can't even get his story straight."

Community meeting sparks conversation

Why you should care:

Taylor’s remarks came after a recent community meeting sparked by allegations that his department was not being transparent about its relationship with federal immigration authorities. He specifically called out state Reps. Marvin Lim and Jasmine Clark, who had criticized his office’s level of cooperation with ICE.

"Our state legislators like Clark, like them, they got a job to do too," Taylor said. "You don't like the bill, go to work down there in the House and get the bill changed."

Immigration enforcement in Georgia

The backstory:

HB 1105, passed by the Georgia legislature in 2024 and signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in May of that year, requires sheriff’s offices to coordinate with federal immigration authorities when a person in custody is suspected of being in the country without legal authorization—if that person is wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Before the law took effect, local sheriff’s offices were not legally obligated to detain individuals beyond their scheduled release times, even if ICE had issued a detainer. The new law changed that.

Earlier this year, President Trump raised ICE’s daily arrest quota from 1,000 to 3,000. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump’s immigration adviser Tom Homan said local jail pickups are ICE’s preferred method of making arrests, citing increased safety for both agents and the public.

Gwinnett County has the highest concentration of immigrants in metro Atlanta, with nearly 14% of its population classified as non-U.S. citizens, according to U.S. Census data.

Between April and June of this year, the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office received 218 ICE detainer requests, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. These requests asked the jail to hold individuals past their scheduled release times so ICE agents could assume custody. The newspaper also reported that the most common offense among immigrants booked into the Gwinnett County Jail was driving without a license. FOX 5 Atlanta reported last week that Georgia is among the top states for non-criminal – meaning no serious criminal/violent offenses like murder or rape – ICE arrests.

The detainment of Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara has further fueled local debate. Guevara was arrested in DeKalb County in June while covering a protest. While charges in that case were dropped, ICE issued a detainer against him. A judge approved his release on bond on July 1, but ICE attorneys blocked the release. Guevara was then transferred to Gwinnett County Jail on unrelated misdemeanor traffic charges, which were also later dropped—yet he remains in custody.

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According to the Galeo Impact Fund, several community groups have called on the Gwinnett County Sheriff to explain how HB 1105 is being implemented, clarify the department's cooperation with ICE, and address the continued detention of Guevara.

On Monday, the sheriff’s office invited community leaders, civil rights groups, and elected officials to participate in what it described as a "candid, solutions-focused conversation about immigration protocols," emphasizing safety and transparency.

On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office issued a Facebook statement pushing back on criticism from individuals who did not attend the meeting, saying their comments misrepresented what was actually discussed.

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