IN THE PROFESSION
Luckily , Georgia has a large and diverse immigration community . According to the American Immigration Council , one in ten residents in our state is an immigrant , and seven percent of residents were born in the U . S . and have at least one immigrant parent . 1 Per USA Facts , Georgia was home to about 1.27 million immigrants in 2023 . 2 Immigrants 3 “ play a key role in Georgia ’ s economy ,” according to the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute . 4 This does not even include the amount of multinational corporations that call Georgia home , such as Coca-Cola , Home Depot , and Delta Airlines , just to name a few . Additionally , the fact that Atlanta ’ s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was the world ’ s busiest airport in 2023 evidences , in part , the importance of immigration . 5
A topic that requires attention is immigration detention in the Peach State . This article provides general information about the two main immigration detention centers in our state , and an overview of the immigration courts and offices where we call home . This topic is
particularly relevant , as Georgia has the third-largest detained immigrant population in the U . S . 6 Moreover , the number of detained immigrants in Georgia rose by more than fifty percent in May 2024 from the year before . 7
As a primer , the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) was created in 2002 with the passing of the Homeland Security Act and began operating on March 1 , 2003 . 8 The Homeland Security Act also disbanded the Immigration and Naturalization Service ( INS ). 9 Subagencies within DHS include Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ), Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ), and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ).
According to its website , ICE has three immigrant detention centers in Georgia : ( 1 ) Stewart Detention Center ( Stewart ) in Lumpkin , GA ,
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( 2 ) Folkston ICE Processing Center ( Main ), and ( 3 ) Folkston ICE Processing Center ( Annex ). 11 ICE previously detained immigrants at the Irwin County Detention Center
1 immigrants _ in _ georgia . pdf 2 How many immigrants are in Georgia ? | USAFacts 3 For this article , I use the word “ immigrant ” to refer to non-citizens . Legally speaking , there is a difference between immigrants and non-immigrants . 4 Inclusive Economy for Immigrants - Georgia Budget and Policy Institute 5 ATL retains its title as the world ' s busiest airport despite shifts in international air traffic | Georgia Public Broadcasting 6 20231002-Immigration-Enforcement-Report-PDF . pdf 7 Immigrant detentions in Georgia rise by over 50 percent 8 Creation of the Department of Homeland Security | Homeland Security 9 Overview of INS History 10 Some sources refer to the facility as “ Stewart County Detention Center .” See , e . g ., ICE removes MS-13 gang leader , felon wanted in El Salvador | ICE 11 Detention Facilities | ICE ; the Atlanta ICE Field Office also has control over the Alamance County Detention Center in Graham , NC . However , I focus on the detention centers in Georgia for this article . in Ocilla , GA , until then-Secretary of DHS Alejandro Mayorkas ordered ICE to discontinue detaining people there “ as soon as possible ” in 2021 . 12
Stewart , operated by a private company now called CoreCivic , 13 opened in 2006 . 14 Stewart has detained men since its inception and began to detain women again in late 2020 . 15 Stewart ’ s capacity is 1,966 detainees . 16 Inside of the facility is the Stewart Immigration Court , which began hearing cases in January 2010 . 17 The immigration court is part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review , which is under the Department of Justice . 18 As of late December 2024 , the Stewart Immigration Court currently has four Immigration Judges and one Assistant Chief Immigration Judge . 19 The Stewart Immigration Court also has administrative control for detained immigrants at both Folkston locations .
The Folkston ICE Processing Center ( Main ), located in Charlton County , was constructed in 2008 but did not begin to detain immigrants on ICE ’ s behalf in 2017 . 20 Folkston is close to the border between Florida — about forty-five minutes to Jacksonville , and is also near the Okefenokee Swamp Park . Similar to Stewart , Folkston ICE Processing Center ( Main ) is also owned and operated by a private company ( The GEO Group , Inc .). 21 Some reports refer to both the Main and Annex buildings as “ Folkston .” 22 As of the 2021 Fiscal Year , the Main center ’ s maximum capacity was 780 and the Annex ’ s maximum capacity was 338 . 23 According to a report from February 2022 , however , an agreement would expand Folkston to 3,018 beds . 24
In addition to the Stewart Immigration Court , there are two immigration courts in Atlanta . 25 In a 2024 press release , Atlanta is one of five cities that , in addition to normal dockets , there will also be a “ Recent Arrivals ”
12 ICE to close 2 troubled detention centers in Georgia and Massachusetts 13 The company used to be called Corrections Corporation of America but changed its name in 2016 . Corrections Corporation of America Rebrands as CoreCivic . Its headquarters are in Tennessee . Id . 14 Corrections Corporation of America Announces Agreement with Stewart County , Georgia to House Detainees from U . S . Immigration and Customs Enforcement | CoreCivic , Inc . 15 ICE resumes holding women in Southwest Georgia detention center 16 Results of an Unannounced Inspection of ICE ' s Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin , Georgia 17 Executive Office for Immigration Review 18 8 CFR § 1003.0 ( a ). 19 Executive Office for Immigration Review | Stewart Immigration
Court Photo credit : Daniel Cole / Invision / AP 20 ICF-00010-OIDO- _ Word _ Generic _ Cover _ 2-DHS-v2
21 Id .
22 https :// www . oig . dhs . gov / sites / default / files / assets / 2022-07 / OIG- 22-47-July22 . pdf 23 Id . 24 Georgia immigration facility to become one of nation ' s largest | Chattanooga Times Free Press 25 Executive Office for Immigration Review | Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings ; EOIR to Open New Immigration Court in Atlanta ; Legal Resource Flyer - Non-Detained
18 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024