Kelly Girtz, the mayor of Athens—a city in Clarke County, Georgia—was repeatedly interrupted and heckled on Feb. 28 while responding to criticisms that his oversight has seen the city take on “sanctuary” status for illegal immigrants. The briefing came six days after an alleged illegal immigrant was accused of murdering 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia.
Mr. Girtz defended the city’s immigration policies, including a 2019 document that he signed called the “Resolution in Support of Athens Immigrant, Undocumented, and Latinx Community,” which some residents cite for effectively turning Athens into a “sanctuary city.”
