Federal immigration authorities have started arresting Somali immigrants and refugees in parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties that have long been havens for newcomers, including in Clarkston, according to African advocacy groups.
The arrests come after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained more than 680 unauthorized immigrants – including 87 in Georgia – as part of a nationwide operation in February.
ICE’s latest moves also follow President Donald Trump’s attempts to temporarily ban visitors from Somalia and five other Muslim-majority countries as well as refugees from around the world. Trump says his executive order – now on hold in federal courts amid constitutional challenges – is needed so his administration can boost its security screening process for visitors.
Omar Shekhey, the executive director for the Somali America Community Center in Clarkston, said as many as 10 Somalis have been arrested in Clarkston, Stone Mountain and in Gwinnett this week alone. He worries they could be deported to Somalia, which is now in the grips of a deadly drought and persistent violence. Those who have been arrested have been in the U.S. for many years, Shekhey said.
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