Uncertainty grows among south Georgia communities as Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration

ALBANY – President Donald Trump campaigned on aggressive immigration policy promises, and in the first month of his second term, proved to hold true to his word to crack down on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border.

In his first week in office, Trump signed 10 executive orders on immigration and issued various edicts to carry out promises of mass deportations. Following this first week, stories about deportations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appearing in communities spread across the U.S.

South Georgia hasn’t been immune to these policy changes. Immigration prisons like Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin and Folkston ICE Processing Center in Folkston are reporting increased bookings as ICE seemingly goes after “anybody and everybody,” as Paul Alvarado, a Valdosta-based immigration lawyer, said. Folkston is home to the Folkston ICE Processing Center, which has seen an recent influx of bookings. Photo Courtesy of Paul Alvarado.Alvarado serves clients from Leesburg to Brunswick and has worked in immigration law for the last 29 years. On Tuesday, he visited with a client at the Folkston detention center who was detained by men in marked Drug Enforcement Administration jackets just a few blocks from his home as he left for work.

The client had been in Georgia illegally with his wife and child since 2018. He was a construction worker with no criminal background.

“The Department of Homeland Security was saying they were going to go after criminals first, but we’re seeing both,” Alvarado said. “We’re seeing an uptick in arrests and removals for people that don’t even have a criminal record.”

However, Alvarado said this increase in immigration cases across his desk is not unlike the situation he saw under the Obama administration, which deported more than 3 million people. Still, he said immigration judges are swamped with a backlog of cases and expediting processes, a situation that wasn’t helped by the firing of at least 20 immigration judges by the Department of Justice just this week.

No ICE sweeps have been reported in southwest Georgia counties, although, a false alarm in Grady County in late January left residents feeling uneasy and prompted the Grady County School District to release a statement debunking reports of ICE presence on school campuses.

Several hundred peaceful protestors gathered in Tifton to observe “A Day Without Immigrants,” bringing awareness to how this immigration crackdown impacts local families. They held signs that read “Immigrants make America great” and “Seeking asylum is not a crime” while waving the Mexican flag. Tifton is a large agricultural community that sees a large population of temporary migrant farm workers each harvest season. It also hosts the annual “La Fiesta del Pueblo Tifton” to celebrate Hispanic culture.

Jean-Luc Rivera, the deputy executive director for the Latino Community Fund of Georgia, which provides support for Latino communities across the state, said the organization is working hard to provide resources and preparedness plans on workers’ rights and health care access for immigrants who might be subjected to ICE raids.

ICE had long-time guidelines that restricted it from operating at “sensitive locations” such as schools, churches or hospitals, but Trump lifted those guidelines.

“I think it has instilled fear in the immigrant community of being able to access care,” Rivera said.

Rivera said the LCF is also concerned with combating harmful narratives that are on the rise since the start of immigration crackdowns. He said he worries that the passage of the Laken Riley Act, which requires the DHS to detain certain non-U.S. nationals who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting, will create an avenue for racial profiling.

“Painting the picture that every immigrant is a criminal or felon is unfair and really demeans the community as a whole,” Rivera said. “Immigrants are essential to the fabric of our nation. They provide so much culture, so much beauty, so much joy.”

Rivera also emphasized that immigrants are vital to south Georgia’s agricultural economy. Cesar Escalante, a University of Georgia agricultural and applied economics professor, said that while one of Trump’s arguments for stricter immigration policies is the creation of more jobs for Americans, it’s already been seen during the 2008 recession when large numbers of undocumented workers were removed, that American citizens were unlikely to take on unskilled farm labor jobs.

Escalante said this was due to harsh conditions, low pay and exposure to health risks without benefits like health insurance.

“The only reason undocumented labor force thrived in the farm sector was because they were desperate,” he said.

The USDA reports that about 40% of hired crop farm workers in the U.S. are undocumented. Escalante said he expects that number to decrease with Trump’s illegal immigrant crackdown.

Escalante said Georgia’s farms are reliant on contracted temporary migrant workers through the H2A visa program. He said Georgia is consistently one of the top five states to use the program, depending on H-2A workers for 60% of agricultural jobs.

Under the Biden Administration, there was an emphasis on workers’ rights and ensuring fair pay. A report from Escalante’s research showed that in 2023 and 2024, state-level hourly wage rates posted annual increments averaging 7.49% and 5.26%, respectively. The average 2022 rate of $15.03 jumped to $16.13 in 2023. In 2024, the rate further increased to $16.98.

Escalante said these wage jumps happened too quickly, harming farmers who complained about steep costs for these much-needed workers.

“If an administration would like to prioritize the protection of workers’ rights, then probably it should also introduce some supplementary programs to help the other side, to help the business side,” Escalante said.

Trump froze these wages during his presidency, and Escalante said he expects something similar to happen for the president’s second go-around

“Trump is a businessman,” Escalante said. “I have a feeling he’s going to listen to the business community.”

He said he hopes the Trump administration can strike a balance – more affordable H-2A worker labor, ensuring farming operations survive while also providing livable wages and safe conditions for workers.

He said he does have some concerns about the safety of H-2A workers under a new administration. Renewing H2A visas and contracts can be challenging or work may fall through, pressuring H2A workers to overstay their visas in order to make money. Escalante said these workers who overstay their welcome will be at risk with stricter ICE sweeps.

While legislation providing pathways for H2A workers to gain citizenship or have easier renewal processes has been presented in D.C., it’s always failed to pass. Escalante said he’s not optimistic about the creation of those avenues under the Trump administration.

There’s also concern for the monitoring of H2A housing conditions. The Department of Labor is responsible for auditing employers to ensure housing and other benefits meet standards, but it’s understaffed and Escalante said it only monitors a small number of cases. Over the last month, the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency has slashed thousands of federal government jobs.

At this time, Alvarado urged those with questions about their immigration status to seek legal assistance with a certified immigration lawyer. He said there’s been an uptick of fraudulent immigration services stealing people’s money.

He’s recommending that all of his clients who have green cards, petitions, permanent residency cards or any other naturalization path, file for naturalization to become a U.S. citizen.

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