Marietta, GA – Community advocates in Marietta are raising alarms after learning that the Marietta Police Department has entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allows local officers to carry out limited immigration enforcement duties.
The agreement — known as a 287(g) Task Force model — quietly took effect on Jan. 7, empowering designated officers to question residents about immigration status, issue immigration detainers, and make arrests tied to federal immigration violations during routine policing. For many in Marietta’s immigrant and mixed-status communities, the move represents a troubling shift that blurs the line between public safety and federal immigration enforcement.
“This is exactly how trust between police and the community erodes,” said Jerry Gonzalez, CEO of GALEO, who described the agreement as a “horrible erosion of community trust.” Advocates warn that when local police take on the role of immigration agents, residents become less likely to report crimes, call 911, or cooperate with investigations — making entire neighborhoods less safe…