Mass deportation protest shuts down traffic on Buford Highway

CHAMBLEE, Ga. - Emotions ran high in Chamblee on Saturday as hundreds of people took to the streets to support immigrant rights and protest against mass deportations.

Georgia anti-ICE, anti-deportation protests

What we know:

The demonstration, which began as a small gathering Saturday noon, grew significantly, leading to traffic disruptions.

Protesters blocked portions of Buford Highway as they marched to another location further down the road, continuing their message of unity. At one point, the group blocked the entrance near Plaza Fiesta before police moved them off the road.

The protest was a response to the wave of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests throughout the country that began on Jan. 26 after President Donald Trump signed a number of executive orders geared toward beefing up security at the southern border.

The backstory:

Many of the ICE raids have taken place in major cities, targeting those accused of crimes involving drugs, guns and murder.

So far, 7,400 undocumented immigrants have been detained nationwide.

One of the most notable ICE arrests to come out of the metro Atlanta area was a man arrested during a church service in Tucker.

What they're saying:

Joseph Pastor, one of the event's organizers, expressed the fear and anxiety felt by many in the community.

"We are basically being hunted down by ICE, and we live in fear. We are here because we don't want everyone to live in fear, so we're going to speak out," Pastor said.

Natalie Villasana, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, highlighted the importance of community solidarity.

"We're here to unite. We're here to say we won't sit by when any members of our community are attacked. People of all backgrounds need to get together and fight back and build a mass movement to fight for our rights," Villasana said. "An attack on immigrants, an attack on one part of the community, is an attack on the entire working class."

Attendees said the protest that started off peacefully took a slight turn at the sight of law enforcement.

"It was just full of energy, people were full of life," attendee Meredith Yoon told FOX 5. "We were on our way out, and someone was like, ‘Oh, there are people here in riot gear.'"

Arrests at Georgia mass deportation rally

The other side:

Meanwhile, more than 50 officers representing multiple agencies – including Chamblee, Brookhaven and DeKalb County police departments, as well as the Georgia State Patrol – reported to the area to try and disperse the crowd throughout the day.

Chamblee police confirmed they arrested two individuals – Ashley Rodriguez for obstruction of law enforcement officers, and Jesus Fernandez for laying drag. Two additional people were arrested by state troopers – Uliezer Gonzales for reckless driving and attempting to elude a police officer and an unidentified second suspect.

Crystal Alvarado, a protester, told FOX 5 a friend of hers was one of those taken into custody. She said she didn’t believe the arrests were warranted.

"The protest was perfectly fine until they started to kick us out. That’s when people started throwing drinks at the cops, doing more burnout," she stated. "I feel we as American citizens have the right to ask questions. My friend was just asking, ‘What’s going on? Why are y’all doing this?’"

What's next:

Organizers plan to continue speaking out against the recent arrests and rely on each other for support.

"I am glad that everyone's here to show their support, and they're showing their culture with pride," Pastor said, expressing his gratitude for the community's solidarity. "It just feels like we're all family. We're all going to support each other because no one wants to support us."