(WOODSTOCK, GA)—Martha Jean Schindler is standing up against the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E).
Schindler, a native of Fairhope, Alabama, is the founder of the Woodstock Community Action Network. She isn’t happy with I.C.E’s treatment of immigrants and shared her thoughts with OpGov.ai.
Photo Credit: Robin Rayne
"It's clear that they are not doing the right thing,” Schindler said. “And that they do not want to do the right thing.”
Schindler mentioned the presence of I.C.E in the Woodstock Community, stating that, “we do know that I.C.E is operating in the Woodstock area and in Cherokee.”
Schindler described a specific event that took place in Woodstock, a city with 41,454 residents.
“Back in December, 27 people in one day were taken from that neighborhood,” Schindler, speaking of a specific area in Woodstock, said. “And this one woman, the only reason why she wasn't taken was because she wasn't there. She left for work early, and her husband was taken. She's lost a breadwinner.”
The event illustrates how much power and authority I.C.E has.
OpGov.ai reached out to the Woodstock Police Department. Public Information Officer Ron Sinfelt responded with a short statement.
“Woodstock consistently ranks as one of the safest towns in Georgia,” Sinfielt said. “The Woodstock Police Department follows all applicable state and federal laws.”
Schindler criticized how Woodstock City Council has handled issues surrounding I.C.E.
Photo Credit: Jorden Hampton Zoom
“The city has shown that they will not support anything that threatens their MAGA ideals,” Schindler, who believes in democracy and ran for mayor of Woodstock in 2025, said. “If there are folks on the city council who believe that I.C.E is bad and a threat, they are not willing to stand up or have not been willing to stand up.”
Citizens also can’t comment on items not listed on the agenda during Woodstock City Council meetings, according to Shindler.
OpGov.ai reached out to Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell by email. Caldwell didn’t respond.
Caldwell is the 31st Mayor of the City of Woodstock, Georgia, a technology entrepreneur, and a former four-term member of the Georgia House of Representatives, according to Woodstockga.gov.
Schindler detailed how I.C.E treats individuals who have been detained.
“We know that I.C.E has abused, beaten, raped, assaulted, starved people in captivity,” Schindler said. “These are modern concentration camps.”
The agency's use of actions involving force is governed by a combination of the U.S Constitution, U.S law, and the DHS's own guidelines, according to BBC.
OpGov.ai understands I.C.E has a job to do and reached out to Steven Schrank, who is the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta.
Schrank didn’t respond to the OpGov.ai interview request.
According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, Schrank has been in law enforcement for 25 years. The website adds that he leads a robust team of roughly 300 special agents, intelligence analysts, task force officers, and support personnel across eight offices in Georgia and Alabama.
Controversy surrounding I.C.E is present in Georgia. Students at different schools across the state have stood up, showing their discontent with the agency.
"Throughout January 2026, over 10,000 students at over 150 schools across Georgia, including at KSU, walked out of their classes to protest the terror inflicted by I.C.E against communities across the country,” according to Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta.
Numbers support the impact I.C.E has had on the Peach State.
I.C.E has detained 4,227 people in Georgia, according to Trac Immigration.
Trac Immigration documented that Georgia is one of five states with the most people detained by I.C.E as of Feb. 5. Other states include Texas, Louisiana, California, and Florida.
I.C.E is present in other states.
“There was a woman who was shot five times in Chicago,” Schindler said. “And they shot her five times with seven bullets. And based on how the angles of the bullets went in, she had seven holes in her. They have text messages of the agents who did this, of the agent who shot her, bragging about it, saying five shots, seven holes.”
The officers in the situation were congratulated for killing the woman, according to Schindler.
Schindler added that the woman who was shot survived and has been able to give her testimony in court.
Schindler believes it’s her right to stand up against I.C.E. She posts videos of I.C.E detaining people on her Woodstock Community Action Network Facebook page stories.
Continuing to challenge the establishment known as I.C.E is important for Schindler.
“This is my fight, and I'm not going to give up, and I'm not going to quit fighting for the people,” Schindler said. “We fight for all the people who cannot fight back.”
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact jorden.h@lead4earth.org.
Comments