Savannah mayor responds to Rep. Carter asking for more ICE agents in Georgia

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah Mayor Van Johnson held his weekly press conference today, January 27, 2026, and gave updates on several situations in our area, including the shooting between an officer and an individual on the Savannah riverfront and the acid attack in Forsyth Park.

Mayor Johnson also took reporter questions and, during that segment near the end of the conference, gave his thoughts on Carter calling for an increased ICE presence in Atlanta. The video of his response is embedded above.

Buddy Carter wants to run for office and so his actions, his statements, are probably political. He’s doing anything to legitimize himself as a viable candidate.

There are other things we need his support on, like helping to prevent closure of our federal government. Those are the things I think he needs to be concerned about, you know, in terms of representing people here in Savannah.

I mean, you know, I don’t think anybody’s listening to him.”

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson

In a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, Carter said “Rising levels of illegal immigrants and increasing threats to public safety in Georgia highlight the urgent need for an enhanced ICE presence in Atlanta.”