It was a local vote but social justice groups in the Atlanta area say it has national importance – and hopefully will help immigrant families stay together. 
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners joined the growing number of local governments in calling on law enforcement officials to stop cooperating with federal immigration agencies over controversial “holds” or “detainers” of individuals, according to Southerners on New Ground (SONG), which applauded the move.
On Sept. 3, county commissioners approved the resolution by a vote of 6 to 0. It is directed at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. Requests for such “holds” or “detainers” are made by federal authorities to local jails and detention centers for further investigation of civil immigration violations.
Immigrants and groups that advocate on their behalf point to a federal court ruling in Oregon that said these detentions lack probable cause and violate the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. For example, an officer with a local police agency might stop someone who lacks immigration documents on suspicion of a minor violation.
If a local agency is cooperating with federal authorities, that individual is held for up to two days longer than normal so U.S. agents can conduct an immigration investigation. That could lead to more immigration proceedings, including deportation.
Immigrant families and their advocates argue this separates adults from loved ones and erodes community trust in local law enforcement.
In a statement, SONG said that participation for local law enforcement in these federal “hold” requests is voluntary. Fulton County is one of the few in the South to approve such a resolution, SONG said, referring to Miami-Dade County in Florida which backed a similar measure.
“We must continue our dedication and unity in moving forward to ensure the implementation of this policy to its fullest extent, the accountability of Fulton County law enforcement and fight to expand this win to other locales,” SONG said in a statement.
SONG is a member of the Georgia Not1More Coalition, which worked on this issue. The Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights is a coalition member.
Local law enforcement agencies in Northern California have stopped participating in these federal “detainer” requests, as well as some in Florida. Grassroots activists in Florida have sent letters to local police and sheriff offices to ask that they end their cooperation with U.S. agents.
As of July, more than 150 local governments, including ones in Los Angeles and San Francisco, have either limited their participation with this detention program or ended it.
Southerners on New Ground is an Atlanta-based LGBTQ group that works on immigration and social justice issues.