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Crackdown on Criminal Illegal Immigration Sparks Protests Near Downtown Marietta

Dozens of people lined the streets near Downtown Marietta on Saturday (2/1/2025) to protest President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting illegal immigration, filling the sidewalks with signs bearing messages such as “America was built by immigrants,” “No one is illegal on stolen land,” and “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

According to reports, none of the Marietta protesters were detained or cited as they exercised their First Amendment rights to peacefully protest. However, protests elsewhere in the Atlanta area and across the country resulted in multiple arrests. Demonstrations in Brookhaven, Atlanta, Tucker, and Lilburn led to arrests, as did similar protests in other cities nationwide.

Trump campaigned on restoring law and order to America’s immigration system, and his executive order, PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AGAINST INVASION, is a direct fulfillment of that promise. Given the overwhelming victory that secured his second term, this action should come as no surprise. The order strengthens immigration enforcement, prioritizes the removal of those in the country illegally, and directs federal agencies to crack down on border crossings. It expands cooperation between federal and local law enforcement to ensure the swift deportation of illegal immigrants, particularly those with criminal records. While left-wing activists decry the enforcement of immigration laws, many Americans see this as a necessary step to secure the nation’s borders and uphold the rule of law.

Federal law enforcement began conducting mass arrests last weekend in several major U.S. cities, including New York City and Aurora, Colorado. Protests erupted across the nation in response, including the one held locally in Marietta, Georgia. In addition to the Marietta protest, other demonstrations were taking place throughout Atlanta and across the country, with many resulting in arrests as law enforcement worked to maintain order.

Additionally, approximately 650 people gathered along Buford Highway on Saturday to call for an end to targeted operations by immigration agents that began last week. Waving flags from Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico, protesters carried signs condemning deportations as hundreds lined both sides of the corridor in front of Plaza Fiesta near DeKalb-Peachtree Airport around noon.

On national media, Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, stated that he wants to increase the pace of arrests and deportations, expecting the efforts to continue at an even larger scale. Homan’s remarks not only dominated non-national news interviews, but the topic also took center stage on some national news shows, where the executive order was defended. 

In Marietta, chants of “Si se puede” (“Yes we can”) could be heard by some drivers and pedestrians. A few motorists drove by, some showing support while others displayed disapproval verbally. Law enforcement from the Cobb County Police Department, Marietta Police Department, and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office maintained a strong presence to uphold order.

One passerby at Marietta Square, who declined to give her name, sarcastically asked, “Are they protesting that we should not be a nation of laws?” When asked to clarify, she simply responded, “Go look up the law.”

According to ICE’s official website, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) states its mission is “to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws.”

Conservative observers point out that Cobb County’s sheriff, Craig Owens, faces a difficult decision—whether to fully cooperate with federal law enforcement or impose his own version of “home rule” within the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Owens’ tenure has been marked by controversy, including the indictment of his own chief of staff in February 2024 (Insurance Journal), the questionable treatment and eventual death of inmate Brady Allen (YouTube), and allegations of abuse of power in an incident dubbed “Burger Gate”. It remains unclear how much cooperation Owens will offer the federal government in deportation efforts.

While some protesters chanted, “We’re not criminals,” conservative commentator Phil Kent, speaking on Fox 5’s Georgia Gang, countered that “everyone who comes to the United States illegally is a criminal,” drawing criticism from others on the show.

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