Atlanta, GA
Metro Atlanta officials try to ease doubts after ICE arrests stoke fear in immigrant communities
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Officials in some of Metro Atlanta’s most diverse communities are trying to ease uncertainty following recent arrests by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) in the metro.
Buford Highway is home to restaurants and shops owned or employed by hundreds of immigrants.
“All the cultures on this highway, I even drive down here to get emissions test, I do all kinds of things on Buford we shop at some of the local little stores,” said Anne Jones.
The area was the target of ICE operations with officers seen in Chamblee and Brookhaven.
“I’m hearing stories of people afraid of going out eating or going out to stores and I’m even hearing some reports of some kids not showing up to school. It’s very concerning,” said Brookhaven Mayor John Park.
Park says they were not involved or notified about the arrests. He says he’s worried the recent events will have devastating effects on their relationship with the immigrant community.
“My concern they will group us to all the other agencies, and we will have to work harder to re-establish that trust,” Park said.
Javier Diaz de Leon, Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta, said the arrests are not random.
“We have not seen any evidence that a widespread raid is happening. What is going on is focused operations that the immigration authorities in this region are going for the detention for specifics individuals that have a process or there’s a deportation order. Nothing like widespread operations,” he said.
People like De Leon and Park are trying to alleviate ongoing fear.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty. There’s a lot of concern,” said Park.
Park says the City of Brookhaven must and will comply with state and government laws but are trying to help the immigrant community regain a sense of belonging.
“We are Brookhaven. We are strong and we are together,” he said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
Atlanta, Lilburn police departments issue corrections after officer’s video about ICE goes viral
Atlanta Latino advocacy group organizer says ICE arrests are meant to ‘terrorize our community’
Atlanta immigration attorney explains what to do if ICE knocks on your door
Undocumented families in Atlanta worry about their future as ICE raids continue
Brookhaven officials: Recent ICE arrests causing ‘deep concern and fear’
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State Republicans praise Trump administration’s ICE efforts, want more requirements for law enforcement, cities to comply
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The search for missing 16-year-old Benjamin Braithwaite is over. Atlanta police announced just before midnight Thursday that he had been located, more than a week after he vanished from his Regency Trace home.
The department shared the update on social media but did not release additional details about where he was found or the circumstances surrounding his recovery.
Braithwaite had been missing since the night of April 27, when he was last seen around 9 p.m. at his home in Atlanta. His family said they had no contact with him during the entire time he was gone.
The disappearance of the KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School sophomore and basketball team member had galvanized the Atlanta community. His family, teammates, Atlanta police officers and neighbors gathered at the school last week to raise awareness about his disappearance. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where his mother works, joined the search effort — asking the public to watch for him at MARTA stops and fast food restaurants.
A $10,000 reward had been offered for credible information leading to his safe return.
“Even small details matter. Your awareness could make the difference,” the airport wrote in an Instagram post earlier this week.
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up for rookie minicamp this weekend after a flurry of player moves over the last several weeks. General manager Ian Cunningham is not finished making changes to his roster, and the front office has reunited with another former player.
According to a press release from the team, the Falcons have signed cornerback Darren Hall and released safety Tysheem Johnson in a corresponding move.
Hall was originally selected by the franchise in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of San Diego State. Over his four seasons with the Falcons (2021-22) and Arizona Cardinals (2024-25), he has appeared in 48 games (12 starts), registering 85 total tackles, three tackles for loss, six passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
In the time between his stints in Atlanta and Arizona, Hall was a member of the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad (2023).
As a college player for the Aztecs, he tied the FBS lead for pass breakups with 16 in 2019. He appeared in 34 games (22 starts) over his three seasons (2018-20) with San Diego State, recording 134 tackles (101 solo), 31 passes defensed, eight tackles for loss, six interceptions, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection following the 2020 season.
As a pro, Hall’s career has not gone exactly as he would have hoped. 10 of Hall’s starts came with the Falcons, and he largely struggled in 2022. He surrendered 362 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 27 receptions against 37 targets. The Falcons waived him in August 2023 in favor of rookie Clark Phillips III, Jeff Okudah, Tre Flowers, and Mike Hughes.
Hall is still a versatile player with solid tackling ability, giving him a shot at being a depth cornerback on this roster or earning a spot on the practice squad. He will face stiff competition to earn that spot, with Phillips, Cobee Bryant, Darnay Holmes, Mike Ford Jr., C.J. Henderson, and Natrone Brooks all standing in his way.
For now, he is the second player from that 2021 draft class (Terry Fontenot’s first as a general manager) to receive some form of a second contract (Kyle Pitts was franchise tagged earlier this offseason) – it just did not happen the way anyone expected. Hall now becomes the third former Falcon to join the roster via free agency this offseason after stints with other franchises (Austin Hooper and Olamide Zaccheaus).
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EMS crews often face waits of an hour — or more — to transfer patients into hospital care.
A medical crew wheels a patient across the parking area into Grady Memorial Hospital after parking across the street because the ambulance bay was full on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
Some Georgia ambulances are reaching hospitals with a patient on board and then shifting into park.
And waiting.
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A ambulance leaves the parking bay outside the Marcus Trauma and Emergency Center at Grady Memorial Hospital on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
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Asia Simone Burns is a rapid response reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
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