With the Democratic National Convention underway in Chicago, former President Donald Trump's campaign hosted a press conference of state Republican officials and local law enforcement Tuesday at Jaemor Farms in Hall County to discuss immigration issues.
Former 9th District Congressman Doug Collins spoke first, stressing the need for a change in policy at the border.
"We're here today to make sure that there's a contrast drawn from fantasy land that's in Chicago this week, where (Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign will) tell you all the things that they're going to fix on day one," Collins said. "They've had three and a half years to tell us how bad it is and now they're going to fix it on day one? That falls a little hollow."
Georgia State Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) said despite border and immigration policy being a mostly federal issue, it has had impacts on the Northeast Georgia area.
"Last week, just in Atlanta at a farmers market, over 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine were discovered in a truck that was loaded down with celery coming straight out of the Mexican cartel into the city of Atlanta," Gooch said. "Where was its destination? It was coming to our home towns in North Georgia, South Georgia, Central Georgia...it's killing Americans every day."
Several local law enforcement officials attended the press conference. Among them was Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell, who echoed Gooch's sentiments about North Georgia feeling the effects of immigration issues.
"We have those bad actors, and that's why we're here. Our jails are full of them," Terrell said. "Our legislators have worked hard on trying to shore up our laws, but when it comes to the federal government, we're not getting the support we need...we deal with the drug cartel. They're here. They're here in Hall County."
Jaemor Farms co-owner and District 49 State Senator-elect Drew Echols said Trump campaign official contacted him Friday looking for a location in Northeast Georgia to host Tuesday's press conference. Echols said he was happy to offer Jaemor as a venue.
Echols is running unopposed in November's general election after winning the May Republican primary. He said he wants to try to use his state office to mitigate impacts of immigration-related issues.
"I'm always going to err on the side of small businesses here in North Georgia," Echols said. "Traveling all over Hall County during that campaign back during the spring, you're not just talking to GOP grounds. You're talking to homeowners associations and parent groups and things like that. People really are concerned about public safety in their community and gangs...those are things that are right here in our backyard that I look forward to working on."
