The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a public rebuke on Monday after Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms highlighted her 2018 decision as Atlanta’s mayor to terminate the city’s cooperation agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Bottoms, speaking at a Democratic fundraiser in Dalton, Georgia, reiterated her opposition to ICE’s family separation policy during the Trump administration, stating that Atlanta ended its multi-million dollar agreement with the agency because “all money ain’t good money.” She added that her administration’s decision influenced other cities, counties, and states to follow suit. Bottoms framed her stance as rooted in her belief in “seeing the humanity in people,” referencing her father’s struggles with addiction and incarceration.
In response, a DHS spokesperson issued a statement calling Bottoms’ actions an attempt to “obstruct federal immigration laws” and accused her of making Atlanta-area communities a “hotbed for illegal immigration.” The spokesperson clarified that ICE does not separate families, asserting that parents are given options regarding removal with or without their children. The statement also noted that parents can use the CBP One app to coordinate departures.
Separately, DHS also criticized Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for an open letter she sent to parking garage and lot owners in the city, urging them to reject ICE’s request for rental space. Wu’s letter followed ICE’s public notice seeking 249 contiguous parking spaces in Boston for potential staging operations. In response, DHS posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Wu’s actions were “unhinged,” arguing that she was “hunting down private property owners” to intimidate them for working with ICE.
Wu defended her position in a statement, calling ICE’s request an “unprovoked and unwarranted escalation” that posed risks to public safety and economic activity. She added that the city had submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to gather local responses to ICE’s parking needs.
Background and Context
The DHS statements reflect ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement agencies and local governments that have adopted so-called “sanctuary” policies. These policies typically limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, often citing concerns over community trust, public safety, and humanitarian considerations. Atlanta’s 2018 decision to end its ICE agreement was part of a broader wave of municipal actions during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
ICE’s recent nationwide search for parking spaces—including in 14 cities—suggests an expansion of operational capacity, which local officials like Wu argue could escalate enforcement activities in urban areas. The agency has stated that such requests are routine and do not indicate a specific enforcement operation.
Official Statements and Policy Positions
- Keisha Lance Bottoms: Emphasized her decision as a moral stance against family separation policies and framed it as a catalyst for broader local resistance to ICE cooperation.
- DHS: Maintained that terminating ICE agreements obstructs federal law enforcement and mischaracterized family separation policies, asserting that parents retain agency in removal decisions.
- Michelle Wu: Argued that accommodating ICE parking requests would constitute an escalation with potential public safety and economic consequences, while asserting the city’s right to monitor local responses through FOIA requests.
The exchanges highlight the ongoing debate over the balance between federal immigration enforcement and local autonomy in policy implementation.