MARIETTA, Ga. — Immigration agents arrested 12 employees at a Marietta nail salon on Wednesday, forcing the business to close.
The Luxx Nail Lounge on Chastain Meadows Parkway is now locked up and closed.
Channel 2’s Bryan Mims spoke with the regional special agent in charge of Homeland Security investigations, Steve Shrank, on Friday, who said agents are making about a hundred arrests every day in the Atlanta region alone.
Video showed agents leading 12 employees out of Luxx Nail Lounge on Wednesday. Except for one employee, that was the whole staff on duty.
“This business rode on that illegal labor force. As you can see, they are closed today because they have no employees to do that work,” Shrank said.
He told Mims that his agents have been considerably busier since President Donald Trump took office.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Threat of strong, severe storms Friday night through Saturday morning
- Porn shown in high school class in Henry County
- Body of missing 17-year-old boater found in Lake Allatoona
“Over the past few years, we’ve had significant restrictions on enforcing immigration activity. All of our enforcement efforts had to be focused on certain priority areas. But we have broadly opened the aperture,” Shrank said.
Trump has clamped down on undocumented immigrants, g an executive order to expedite their removal.
Shrank said his agency’s priority is to apprehend those who threaten public safety. But he said that when his investigators learn of those who overstay their visas or who illegally cross the border, they will take action.
“It is our job, outside of politics, outside of the istration, to enforce the laws of the United States, and we’re going to do that,” Shrank said.
It’s unclear whether the owners of Luxx Nail Lounge will face penalties, but Shrank said any employer knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants could be charged.
He said employers will be held able for hiring people who are not allowed to work in the U.S.
As for what led to the investigation into the salon, Shrank said they got a tip. They looked into it and took action.
©2025 Cox Media Group
