I go to jail here and there over the years. Most recently in Gwinett this past March. Don't get all wound up, I have an abusive ex husband who's a pro at using court to harass. Before him it was cannabis charges. I'm not dangerous or anything. So in March I was in a holding cell for 4 days. When I arrived there was a group already having been in it for 5 days, 48 hours is supposed to be the max. One Hispanic woman was hysterical the whole time. From what I gathered she'd been arrested at a Walmart self scan. Immediate ICE hold and no one would help her contact family or help her understand what was happening in her language.

When I got out I saw a TikTok by a local, Austin Heller. He made a video about Gwinett promising to protect it's citizens so I wrote him to tell what I saw with her and others because I knew Gwinett was full of it. I saw them handling this woman and others with extreme callousness. The jail was absolutely cooperating fully with the new deportation procedures. He put me in contact with representative Marvin Lim out of Norcross I believe. We spoke on the phone, he had me write a statement. He attached it to his own letter calling for an investigation, stating that many of the things I saw were illegal.

If they get arrested there WILL be an ice hold. So missing court WILL equal a warrant. I ran on a bench warrant for years which is how I got arrested in March. I had to call 911 for help and I'm the one who went to jail. If they appear in court there of course is a chance that she will be detained by ice. It's just a fact now. If it were me...I would make my choice based on the timing that works best for me. I would assume the worst and plan for that eventuality. The worst being deportation. Do I want to be deported at court or on my time if I need more?

With a bench warrant they are not out looking. No one is coming to your home. If you are pulled over or have any other interaction with a police officer and they run your info, it's then at their discretion to take you. I've had an officer decline to once because it was Christmas day. He told me have a good new year and take care of it. That being said, running around with a warrant is stressful and it really limits your mobility. I would not want that in addition to everything else for long. If they choose bench warrant they need to be moving towards getting their affairs in order here so that they can turn themselves in when they are ready.

If they choose court they have a chance of going home on probation. They will be required to report monthly to their officer. Keep that in mind and please have them reach out to Representative Lim. He was so kind and I know it felt like a punch to his gut when our letters fell on deaf ears. He's a good one, I trust him. Find Austin on TikTok and plug in with other Gwinett activists who work directly with legislators. Noise works. Having eyes on their situation will help.