Last Thursday, March 12, the Cobb Immigrant Alliance and Cobb SCLC held a press conference in Glover Park on Marietta Square, pushing back against the increasingly sharp verbal and legal attacks on immigrants by politicians and right-wing media figures.
Rich Pellegrino, a field organizer for SCLC, gave an introduction.
He said, “15 years ago, we formed the Cobb Immigrant Alliance … because there was a lot of misinformation, hate-mongering, and fear-mongering against immigrants at that time.”
He said the coalition’s work was successful in turning Cobb from an unwelcoming place for immigrants into a welcoming one.
“Why? Because they realized that we’re a nation of immigrants,” he said. “And recent immigrants back then, and now, are just like our ancestors who came here for a better life.”
“They risked life and limb to get here,” he said. “And they they built this country.”
“This country was built on the back of immigrants and on the back of both forced immigrants, slaves, as well as willing like my Italian ancestors,” Pellegrino said.
“We’re here to reestablish the welcoming environment that Cobb and Georgia has welcomed immigrants and migrants,” he said.
“Because our chief executive in Georgia, as well as unscrupulous candidates for public office, are once again spreading fear-mongering hate-mongering and misinformation about recent migrant refugees coming over the border,” he said.
Dr. Benjamin Williams, the president of Cobb SCLC, said that the weekend was the 59th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“(Governor Brian Kemp) has positioned himself to be on the front line of really behaving in a manner that is, to be candid, an embarrassment to our state,” he said. “A state that for years has grown its wealth largely on the backs of immigrants.”
“It is not only disrespectful, but it is absolutely deplorable,” Williams said.
Carlos Garcia represented the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office at the press conference.
He said he works on the Sheriff’s office outreach to the Hispanic/Latino community.
“One of the messages we wanted to deliver today, working for the law enforcement agency is, do not be afraid, especially if you’re a victim of a crime; please come forward; we would like to hear from you if you’re a victim of domestic violence or any type of crime.”
“We’re going to serve everybody regardless of their immigration status,” Garcia said.
The next speaker was Gabriel Sanchez, a candidate for the Georgia House of Representatives.
“Hello, everyone, my name is Gabriel Sanchez. I’m running in the Democratic primary for Georgia State House District 32, which includes Smyrna, Cumberland, and Dobbins Air Force Base.”
“But today, I want to talk about my story and my family,” Sanchez said. “I’m a son of Colombian immigrants, I was actually born right here in Marietta, born and raised in Georgia.”
“And I remember, as a child, seeing my parents have Tennessee driver’s licenses,” he said. “And I always wondered why that was the case.”
“And it wasn’t until later that I realized that in the state of Georgia, it’s illegal, based on your immigration status, to have a driver’s license, which is just, I don’t know how people can expect someone to find a job, or be able to do basic necessities, like going to the grocery store without a driver’s license,” he said. “Our community faces so many hardships and so many obstacles already, just by being immigrants on its own.”
“And the fact that the state of Georgia, and this country, goes further than that, to continue to marginalize our communities, it’s just so sad to me because our community gives so much to the state and to this country,” he said. The food you eat, the new house you move into that was built in the last few decades—that’s our community; you wouldn’t have that without it.”
He then mentioned the anti-immigrant hysteria triggered by the murder of Laken Riley, a UGA nursing student, by a Venezuelan undocumented immigrant.
“And I just feel like, you know, taking advantage of a tragedy that happened in UGA like this and using it to push such a racist, anti-immigrant agenda is so disgusting, and it has no place here in the state,” he said.
Pax Riddle, with SCLC and the Coalition for Public Safety, said that at one time, the enforcement of 287-G (an agreement between ICE and local law enforcement, which Sheriff Craig Owens refused to renew) made undocumented immigrants afraid to cooperate with law enforcement.
Since that time, local police and sheriffs have attempted to build ties with the immigrant community, no matter what their immigration status.
