Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains thousands of immigrants across Georgia mostly in rural communities in the south of the state. This summer, WABE’s immigration reporter Emily Wu Pearson visited Lumpkin, one of those communities, to learn how increasing detentions under the second Trump Administration is affecting the area. 

Story 1: Unlike in the U.S. Court system for citizens, legal representation is not guaranteed for detained immigrants. And lawyers costs thousands of dollars. We hear from a small group of attorneys working pro bono to help. 

Story 2: Immigration cases are often open to the public. We hear from a group of volunteers who watch hours of court proceedings to keep tabs on the judicial system. 

Story 3: With detention centers in such rural locations, family members often have a hard time getting to and staying near facilities. We look at the journey to help family members and those trying to make those trips a little easier. 

Story 4: Millions of dollars a month flow to companies operating immigrant detention facilities in Georgia. We look at where the money comes from and where it goes. 

For more on this series, go to wabe.org/detention