DHS Responds to Keisha Lance Bottoms' Remarks on ICE

<p>Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms emphasized her decision to sever ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during her tenure as mayor of Atlanta in 2018, which drew a strong response from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday.</p><p>Speaking at a Democratic fundraiser in Dalton, Georgia, Bottoms, who previously served in the Biden administration, discussed her refusal to cooperate with ICE during President Donald Trump’s administration.</p><p>In her address, she reflected on her father's struggles with addiction and her visits to various prisons, stating that these experiences taught her to recognize the humanity in individuals, including those who have faced challenges or taken different paths to the United States.</p><p>"When I was mayor of Atlanta, when ICE had the family separation policy in our state, in our nation, I made the decision to end our multi-year, multi-million dollar agreement with ICE because all money ain’t good money," Bottoms said. "And when we did that, other cities followed, counties followed, other states followed and it made a difference."</p><p>DHS responded to her comments, stating, "The only difference this anti-law enforcement, pro-criminal illegal alien, former mayor made was to obstruct federal immigration laws, making Atlanta-area communities a hotbed for illegal immigration on her watch," according to a spokesperson.</p><p>The spokesperson further clarified, "ICE does not separate families. Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement."</p><p>Additionally, the spokesperson mentioned, "Parents can take control of their departure with the CBP Home app and reserve the chance to come back the right legal way. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."</p><p>The DHS spokesperson argued that cooperation with ICE is a common-sense policy, stating, "Seven of the top ten safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country. We have had tremendous success when local law enforcement work with us, including 40,000 arrests in Florida and a two-week operation in West Virginia that resulted in the arrest of over 650 illegal aliens."</p><p>Finally, the spokesperson noted, "When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities." The spokesperson also shared mugshots of illegal aliens arrested in Atlanta for various crimes.</p>