Hear Georgia NOW

Tag: advocacy

  • Georgia groups to host virtual town hall on the 14th Amendment

    Georgia groups to host virtual town hall on the 14th Amendment

    Georgia groups to host virtual town hall on the 14th Amendment

    The Northwest Georgia Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb County are hosting an online town hall next week to discuss the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

    The event, “Constitutional Consciousness: Understanding the 14th Amendment” will stream on Monday, May 18, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

    Legal experts from the Southern Poverty Law Center and Syracuse University College of Law will discuss the amendment and its impact in people’s daily lives. They will also discuss advocacy and how to use constitutional law to influence policy change.

    The event is free, and people can register on Eventbrite.

    Here are the speakers:

    • Arthur Ago, director of Strategic Litigation and Advocacy at the SPLC
    • Professor Paula C. Johnson, Co-Director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative at Syracuse University College of Law
  • Georgia advocates raise concerns over ICE enforcement and fear in rural communities

    Georgia advocates raise concerns over ICE enforcement and fear in rural communities

    Georgia advocates raise concerns over ICE enforcement and fear in rural communities

    National concern over immigration enforcement is growing, including in Georgia, as advocacy groups point to videos circulating online that show how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests are being carried out.

    In Georgia, organizers say what they’re seeing does not align with federal claims that enforcement efforts are focused primarily on violent crime.

    Kris Mecholsky, cofounder of Savannah Indivisible, said the footage tells a different story.

    “We’re not seeing videos of people being taken in from gangs. We’re seeing videos of people being taken from courtrooms, from churches, from their houses, from work, from school.”

    Advocates say aggressive immigration enforcement is creating fear and isolation across the state, particularly in rural communities where ICE activity is often less visible and occurs away from public scrutiny.

    Mecholsky said that fear has been keeping families silent for years — even before the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis brought renewed national attention to enforcement practices.

    “I think there’s a whole lot more suffering going on in every community than most Americans are aware of. Our group has been trying to help the affected families in our area… because these families are terrified.”

    She added that while immigration policy is set at the federal level, local governments in Georgia still have authority when it comes to how ICE operates within their communities.

    Some towns, Mecholsky said, are already pushing back against expanded detention infrastructure and cooperation with federal enforcement.

    “In Georgia, there’s a town that is trying to prevent the building of a new detention center in its area. The federal government can’t just force cities and counties to arrest people and build detention centers. We have mechanisms to fight those.”

    Advocates say increased transparency, local oversight and community-based support are critical as immigration enforcement continues to expand beyond major cities and into smaller, rural areas of the state.