Anti-ICE Activists Disrupt Border Patrol Hiring Event in Atlanta, GA

Anger against ICE is continues to grow, as immigration officials continue to push for increased numbers of deportations and the targeting of working-class people through militarized raids.

As NBC reported, “The Trump administration is moving forward with restarting the detention of migrant families, including those with young children, which could mean an increase in arrests of children and teens, according to three sources familiar with the planning.” Private prison corporations are reportedly celebrating and planning to expand their network of prison camps. As The Intercept reported:

CoreCivic is so excited by its daily calls with the Trump administration that it is spending at least $40 million to renovate facilities even before inking new contracts, CEO Damon Hininger said on the call for investors. “I have worked at CoreCivic for 32 years, and this is truly one of the most exciting periods in my career with the company.”

Civil Rights groups are also sounding the alarm that the Trump administration has begun to send migrants to Guantanamo Bay, including Luis Alberto Castillo, who family members and supporters claim has no links to criminal organizations.

In response, tens of thousands have taken to the streets, walked out of schools, and demonstrated in solidarity with those being targeted by ICE. In Atlanta, GA, demonstrators disrupted a hiring event for potential border patrol recruits at a local Goodwill store.

According to Defend the Atlanta Forest on Twitter/X, on February 13th, “For the second day in a row, protesters disrupted the Border Patrol/DHS event in southwest Atlanta. Today, it was cancelled before it started. Less than 20 people made this happen. The system has weak-points. Target those. Let’s not just wait for crowds to magically appear.”

A press release sent by activists wrote:

This morning at 9 AM, for the second day in a row, a group of around 20 people gathered outside the doors of a Goodwill thrift store in South Atlanta where the U.S Border patrol was hosting a hiring and recruitment event. Assembling in front of the store exactly as the doors opened, protestors unfurled a banner that read ‘CHINGA LA MIGRA: DON’T BE A LOSER NARC BITCH!’ Once outside they talked with community members about how to avoid becoming a loser narc bitch and engaged in counter recruitment of potential BP hires.

In a stunning display of the city of Atlanta’s use of police resources, the group was met with more than 6 cop cars sent to sit and do nothing across the street. Additionally, Goodwill activated their iron-clad security measures, and locked all of the doors to the store, which did little other than hinder shoppers from purchasing their reasonably priced jeans.

The steady trickle of customers that did pass the checkpoint were friendly and overwhelmingly in support of the protest. When the security guard engaged the crowd in a spirited debate about the location of the sidewalk, one participant entered the unattended doors and knocked on the interior entrance to the career center. The doors were locked, and while inside, the workers taped up signs at all entrances that said ‘border patrol will *not* be on site today’. One person who arrived specifically for the hiring event was turned away by Goodwill staff, and on his way out disgruntledly remarked to the crowd “yall did your job, theyre not coming.”

No losers. No narcs. No borders.

As ICE officials push for higher numbers of deportations, activists and communities are vowing to “ratchet…up their efforts to counter potential sweeps.