285 South

02/19/2026

We recently spent time with two families in Clarkston, who received SNAP and Medicaid terminations in January. Both described feeling "stuck" and have had thoughts about returning to their native countries. Apart from the local group Ethaar, they didn't know where to turn for help, or what to do. Read the full story here:

Following legislation passed last year, almost all immigrants and refugees in the U.S. lost access to crucial food and healthcare support. Here's how two families are coping.

12/17/2025

Since the start of 2025, we’ve been learning through our reporting about how local groups serving immigrant and refugee communities have been impacted directly or indirectly by changes at the federal level.

Many have been hit by federal funding cuts, and others are responding to needs of families who have had loved ones arrested and detained.

We are doing our best to stay updated, and have been compiling this list along the way. Something we should include? Drop us a message.

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We’ve been gathering information about what concerned folks can do to support immigrant and refugee communities.

12/17/2025

Renee Alnoubani always had big questions.

Born in California to Palestinian American parents, she lived in several states and countries before her family finally settled in Atlanta. From a young age, she was deeply distraught by the state of the environment. “We see the pollution, animals going extinct, ecosystems collapsing, and we’ve contributed to that,” she said. As she grew older, Renee learned more about how her worries for the environment connected with her Islamic faith—how, for instance, the Prophet Muhammad took care of animals and the natural world around him. “As Muslims, we are called to be stewards of the environment. It’s a responsibility,” she said.

So when Renee enrolled at Georgia Tech, she quickly found a way to channel her passion for the environment: Hearing that the Roswell Community Masjid was making plans for expansion, she proposed turning the new project into what’s called a “Living Building,” one that mirrors how a tree acts in the forest—giving more than it takes.

In early December, community leaders broke ground recently on the mosque, which—when finished—could be the first house of worship in the world to achieve Living Building status.

There are only 35 certified Living Buildings in the world. Roswell Community Masjid in Metro Atlanta wants to be the world's first Living Building house of worship.

12/17/2025

Adalina Merello and Jorge Espichan are preparing for a bittersweet Christmas. For the first time in two years—since Jorge was deported, in mid-November, back to his home country of Peru—they won’t be spending the holiday together.

Arrested earlier this year during a routine traffic stop, Jorge realized that the best way to stay in the U.S. was to leave it—at least temporarily. Now he and Adalina are looking for a way to get him back.

09/04/2025

More than two months since a Gainesville man was pulled over for a cracked windshield and sent to an ICE facility in Southeast Georgia, his family is struggling to get clarity on what’s happening to him behind closed doors.

08/12/2025

The need for affordable healthcare is expected to increase when the ‘Big, Beautiful, Bill’ goes into effect. Here’s a guide to clinics and facilities that offer affordable services regardless of patients’ immigration status

To help Atlanta residents find clinics providing affordable services regardless of patients’ immigration status, we compiled this list

08/08/2025

A 12-year-old boy who lost both his legs in an explosion in Gaza in April 2024 arrived in Atlanta on Sunday to undergo surgical treatment and be fitted for prosthetic limbs over the next year.

08/08/2025

Yassin Alghalban is the second injured Gazan child to arrive in Atlanta since 2023, and one of 11 Gazan children who arrived in airports around the U.S. early this week for medical treatment.

Yassin, who lost both his legs in an explosion in 2024, is among 11 injured children in Gaza who were evacuated for treatment in the U.S.

08/06/2025

An Augusta man who is an immigrant from Nigeria decided to self-deport using a mobile app that the Department of Homeland Security has branded as a way for undocumented people to leave the U.S. on their own accord. Then ICE agents showed up at his house and arrested him.

06/11/2025

The narrow sidewalk in front of Buford Highway’s Pollo Campero was packed with hundreds of people on Tuesday night. They spilled onto the grassy verge, and into the parking lot, many carrying flags and signs. When cars passing along the seven lanes in front of them honked their horns, the crowd responded with cheers.

Later, after most of the crowd had left, some fireworks were thrown, and officers dressed in riot gear moved in to disperse the remaining crowd using smoke bombs. Video on social media platforms showed at least two police cars being vandalized. Police reportedly took 6 people into custody.

Hundreds of protestors line a sidewalk on Buford Highway in Atlanta to protest ICE arrests. Later, after most of the crowd left, police arrested 6 people.

05/20/2025

After 30 years of supporting South Asian American domestic violence survivors in Georgia, Raksha, Inc is at a turning point.

In April, the organization learned that two of its Department of Justice grants were abruptly terminated.

Raksha is at a turning point after 30 years of service to Atlanta area communities.

03/25/2025

📢 285 South: Covering Immigration with Depth and Accountability

In Metro Atlanta, immigration isn’t just a policy debate—it’s a lived reality for thousands. 285 South, a Pivot Fund grantee, is ensuring those stories are told with nuance, urgency, and impact.

Led by Sophia Qureshi, 285 South is providing critical coverage on:
✅ The Laken Riley Act and how it’s affecting Latino communities in Georgia.
✅ Afghan families left without electricity despite paying their bills.
✅ New citizen voter registrations, adding 9,000 naturalized voters to Georgia’s electorate.
✅ Workplace raids and deportation threats impacting immigrant families.

"Immigration coverage often misses the most important perspective—the people living it every day," Qureshi says. "That’s why 285 South exists. Our goal is to ensure immigrant communities aren’t just a side note in local news but a central focus."

With The Pivot Fund’s support, 285 South is hiring new journalists, expanding its reach, and deepening its investigative work—ensuring that immigrants in Georgia have a newsroom that speaks to them.

📖 Read more: https://bit.ly/4ijXYXD