DHS slams former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for ending ICE contract

During a keynote address at a fundraiser in Dalton, Georgia, gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms highlighted her 2018 decision to break Atlanta’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, describing it as a moral choice. She linked the action to broader trends of cities and states following suit. The Department of Homeland Security issued a pointed statement, claiming Bottoms’ policy hindered federal immigration law and turned Atlanta-area communities into hotspots for illegal immigration.

DHS officials reiterated that ICE does not separate families and outlined options for parents to depart with children or use the CBP Home app. The agency also cited recent enforcement successes, including tens of thousands of arrests in Florida and a two-week operation in West Virginia, to argue that cooperation with local law enforcement is essential. Photographs of arrested individuals in Atlanta were shared to underscore their claims. The exchange underscores ongoing tensions over local participation in federal immigration enforcement.