DeKalb drops ICE resolution as state lawmakers push mask ban bill

While local officials have backed down on regulations concerning federal immigration officials, state lawmakers are moving forward with proposing legislation.

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted to withdraw a resolution Tuesday that would demand Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to end all tactical enforcement operations in residential areas of the county.

DeKalb Commissioners Patrick, Johnson, Nicole Massiah and Mereda Davis Johnson all voted to withdraw the resolution.

However, state lawmakers are pushing forward to get legislation on the General Assembly floor.

State Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, D-Smyrna, said he is trying to get a hearing for House Bill 889, which would prohibit ICE officers from wearing masks and requires that ICE publicly identify themselves when doing their work. A similar bill, Senate Bill 389, has been read and referred to committee in the Senate.

“Republicans have used this issue as a scapegoat to distract from their failures of leading the state, and so it is obviously clear that they are not interested in doing legislation to actually protect people’s rights, especially when it comes to immigrants,” he said. 

Sanchez said he will continue talks with other lawmakers about having a hearing.

“We’re not going to stop pushing for it and advocating for it,” he said. “If we can’t get it ourselves, we’ll make sure that they feel the pressure of the people and advocate for hearings in that manner, and if not, we’ll vote them out so we can actually have people who actually represent the people.”