From LA to Calhoun: ICE Raids Are Tearing Through Cities and Small Towns Alike
On Friday night, the world saw what many of us already knew: ICE isn’t just a shadow force—it’s now a public hammer.
On Friday night, the world saw what many of us already knew: ICE isn’t just a shadow force—it’s now a public hammer. In Los Angeles, masked federal agents stormed immigrant neighborhoods, prompting hundreds of residents and workers to surround the federal building in protest. The LAPD responded with force—pepper-spraying children, smashing ribs with rifle butts, and sending dozens to the hospital.
But this isn’t just about LA.
Here in Georgia, away from cameras and national headlines, the same tactics are quietly unfolding. The raids are not only sweeping through cities—they’re rooting themselves in rural communities like Calhoun in Gordon County, Dalton in Whitfield County, and Canton in Cherokee County.
What happened in LA is what’s coming next for the rest of us—unless we name it and organize against it.
What Happened in LA
On June 6, ICE and Homeland Security launched coordinated enforcement actions in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. Reports from The Los Angeles Times and The Guardian confirm that agents made multiple arrests and faced mass resistance from community members. Protesters corralled ICE agents, forcing them to retreat toward a federal building. That’s when the LAPD arrived in full riot gear.
Witnesses and video footage show officers using tear gas, flashbangs, and physical violence against peaceful protesters. A woman was hospitalized after being beaten with the butt of a shotgun. At least 24 others were treated for injuries. The White House has yet to formally address the operation, but internal ICE memos obtained by journalists point to a quota of 3,000 arrests per day—reportedly tied to enforcement goals backed by former Trump advisor Stephen Miller.
Calhoun, Gordon County: Surveillance in Plain Sight
While Los Angeles burned under the spotlight, ICE vans crept through Calhoun under the radar.
Local alerts circulated in early spring warning residents of unmarked vehicles and increased federal presence. In March, ICE placed a detainer on a man already in custody in Gordon County Jail, flagging that active cooperation is happening—even in towns with no public ICE partnerships.
These operations are rarely publicized. That’s by design. They count on rural silence.
Dalton, Whitfield County: A Family Torn Apart
In Dalton, 19-year-old Ximena Arias-Cristobal was pulled over on May 5 for what police claimed was a traffic violation. It was a lie. Dashcam footage showed she made no illegal turn, but by the time that was proven, she had already been handed over to ICE.
Ximena’s arrest—under a county that partners with ICE through the controversial 287(g) program—sparked national backlash. She was released only after an immigration judge set bond, but her case is still active. Her father had also been detained weeks earlier. Both face deportation proceedings.
This wasn’t about crime. It was about presence.
Canton, Cherokee County: The Sunnyside Raid
On June 7, ICE agents entered the Sunnyside neighborhood of Canton, Georgia, using masked officers in dark vehicles. Local witnesses and community groups confirm 6–12 people were detained with no warrants or advance notice. Businesses shut down. Families fled their homes. Neighborhoods were left in mourning.
Cherokee Democrats released a public statement condemning the operation and organized emergency relief. The trauma is still unfolding.
A Pattern of Aggression
What links all these places—LA, Calhoun, Dalton, Canton—is that ICE is scaling its operations across urban and rural lines. These are not isolated raids. They are part of a national strategy that includes:
Daily arrest quotas reportedly set at 3,000 per day
Expansion of the 287(g) program into local jails and police departments
Use of unmarked vehicles and masked officers
Warrantless home entries and racial profiling
Civil detentions based on traffic stops and minor infractions
This enforcement model does not care whether you’re in a major city or a farming town. It’s not just about who has documentation. It’s about who has power—and who doesn’t.
What Now?
We’re in a critical moment. ICE is accelerating its reach, using both visibility and invisibility—shock raids in cities, quiet sweeps in towns.
To resist, we need a coordinated response:
Legal defense funds must be fully resourced in rural areas, not just metro centers.
Rapid-response networks should be established in every county, especially those without media coverage.
287(g) contracts need to be tracked and challenged locally.
Public records requests must be used to expose law enforcement cooperation.
Solidarity campaigns should unify workers, families, and faith leaders across geographic lines.
This is not a city problem or a border-state issue. It’s a national crisis that has reached your county line.
Sources:
Los Angeles Times, June 7, 2025
The Guardian, June 6, 2025
AP News, June 6, 2025
Washington Post, May 21, 2025
The Guardian, May 25, 2025
ICE Atlanta field office press release, April 2025
Gordon County court records, March 2025
Cherokee Democrats public statement, June 7, 2025
PHOTO CREDIT- THE GUARDIAN
—
Christina D. is a writer, editor, and grassroots journalist based in Georgia. She publishes fact-based policy updates, historical analysis, and local investigations at the intersection of agriculture and activism.
Subscribe for updates and more reporting at Agriculture & Activism.