Community Organizations Call on Gwinnett County Sheriff to Provide Clarity on ICE cooperation, Implementation of HB 1105, and the Detention of Journalist Mario Guevara
Gwinnett County, GA - On July 15, six community-based organizations came together calling on Sheriff Keybo Taylor to engage directly with the public on clarifying the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s implementation of Georgia HB 1105, engagement and cooperation with Department of Homeland Security (ICE and CBP), and charges and actions in the targeted activity against journalist Mario Guevara.
In an era where the U.S. government aims to funnel billions of dollars into the expansion of prisons and hiring of federal agents to create fear and expand immigration enforcement against our communities, especially those that look foreign born, Georgia has been at the forefront of this dark and xenophobic trend. Sheriff Taylor ran on a platform promising to strengthen community trust and, in his first term, ended the controversial 287(g) program targeting immigrants, describing it as a “discriminatory program.” Yet, since passage of HB 1105, Georgia’s anti-immigrant law essentially making the state as a whole a 287(g) jurisdiction, Sheriff Taylor has not provided clarity on how the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office is implementing the law. Increasingly, Gwinnett County’s level of engagement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security remains opaque.
Separately, the charges and arrests against journalist Mario Guevara by the Sheriff’s office more than 30 days after the alleged incidents took place, thrust Gwinnett County into national discourse.
As one of the largest counties within Georgia and the most diverse, Sheriff Taylor was elected to the role of Gwinnett County Sheriff and is responsible for building and maintaining relationships of trust and accountability. However, recent actions by the Sheriff’s Office raise significant concerns.
“The signing of HB 1105 into law along with the passing of the Laken Riley Act and expanded immigration enforcement have created confusion and fear in law enforcement agencies that want to comply with the law and yet are mandated to protect their communities from real danger. The same policies have created an even more damaging climate of fear in our communities only exacerbated by the lack of clarity on how these policies are being implemented. It is imperative that elected and appointed officials engage in transparent conversation with the people they have sworn to protect and serve so we can all know the rules under which we are operating and living.” –Gigi Pedraza, LCF Georgia
“Residents of Gwinnett County deserve transparency and communications from their elected officials, including Sheriff Taylor, about actions their office is taking that may impact their family’s safety and security. We are simply asking for local government to respond to community concerns.” –Jennifer Lee, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta.
“Mario Guevara, an independent journalist who is known to many Georgians who consume Spanish-language media, was arrested while doing the vital work that journalists in a democracy do. Not only do the circumstances surrounding his incarceration and subsequent immigration detainment stir serious civil rights concerns, but they also build upon an expanding sense of fear and confusion in Georgia’s most diverse county. Whether it be the mistreatment of local journalists or the implementation of HB 1105, we urge Sheriff Taylor to be transparent with his constituents on these issues that impact their sense of safety.” –Kyle Gomez-Leineweber, Common Cause GA
With the letter, we call on Sheriff Taylor to:
Provide clear public guidance on how his office is implementing HB 1105
Clarify the extent of any current cooperation with ICE or other federal immigration agencies.
Explain the rationale behind the delayed charges, arrest, and detention of Mario Guevara, and
Most urgently, hold two public town halls before the start of the school year on August 4, 2025, to address these issues transparently with Gwinnett residents.
Our organizations are prepared to assist in organizing these events to ensure they are accessible to all communities in Gwinnett County, including immigrant, refugee, and multilingual communities.
Gwinnett residents deserve answers. We will continue to organize, speak out, and demand a future where our communities are safe.
