GA governor candidate wants transparency on ICE, more police ‘on the ground’
- Clark Dean for Governor
- Jan 28
- 3 min read
As immigration enforcement ramps up across the United States, a Republican businessman who intends to run for Georgia governor blamed both civilians and politicians for violence by federal officers.
Clark Dean, a conservative businessman without experience in public office, called for less “political theater” and more transparency from politicians about their goals on immigration enforcement. He also wants to see a greater law enforcement presence in Georgia.
“We need to calm people down (by) letting them know that they’re not threatened, and if they feel that way, that we’re sorry… that’s not what we’re trying to do,” Clark said in an interview with The Telegraph on Jan. 21, during a press tour for his campaign.
In two recent fatal shootings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in a matter of weeks, Minnesota residents Alex Pretti and Renee Good appeared unarmed in videos, according to ABC, CNN and The Guardian.
Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Greg Bovino, a senior border patrol commander, said Pretti was a threat to the agents, which “starkly” contradicted what appeared to happen, PBS reported.
Dean, an Alabama native who lives in Atlanta, claimed people who oppose ICE generally trigger the clashes. That did not appear to be the case in Pretti and Good’s deaths, according to Axios and Stateline. Dean did not mention any particular instances.
“The problem is, it’s been escalated by people (who say) ‘masked warriors (are) in our community,’” Clark said. “Well why are they masked? They’re masked because you were doxxing them… because you disagree with what their job is.”
Dean, 52, said it’s hard to address immigration because it’s too difficult to become a citizen. Though rules on naturalization or access to citizenship are federal laws that can only be changed by Congress, not a governor.
In the meantime, he called on politicians to stop spewing “angry rhetoric,” because it only inflames the situation.
“I think we need better communication, maybe that’s just me being a non-politician,” Dean told The Telegraph.
Immigration-related arrests in Georgia are some of the highest in the country, but fewer federal officers are in the state than in more tense areas like Minneapolis, Minn., Georgia Public Broadcasting reported. This is because many people with detainers, who are being held for ICE, are already in custody by local and state law enforcement agencies, according to the Deportation Data Project, which tracks immigration arrests.
Still, Dean said he wants more law enforcement “on the ground” in Georgia, which he believes will “keep the public safe.”
“I was very excited about that new training facility,” he said, referring to the $115 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, dubbed “Cop City,” by opponents. “It allows us to actually train them the right way… how to ask questions, de-escalate those situations, to be more effective at their craft.”
Dean is the founder of a Transaction Sciences Group, a brokerage firm for Transwestern, a commercial real estate firm. The company has consulted with data centers, medical centers and industrial and manufacturing facilities, to name a few, the company website said.
If elected governor, Dean promised he’ll be transparent and include all perspectives of a team or community in order to have healthy debates on issues including immigration.
“Let’s just get to the truth… If they disagree with it, let’s have that debate and conversation, but also be really clear about what our objectives are,” he said. “That can do a lot to settle down some inflamed situations, but angry rhetoric to an anxious public is a bad brew in my opinion.”
The primary election on May 19 will decide Georgia’s Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates, who will square off in November to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp. Dean enters a crowded GOP race against Georgia officials including Attorney General Chris Carr, Lieutenant Gov. Burt Jones and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, as well as Gregg Kirkpatrick, a medical entrepreneur, and Leland “Jake” Olinger II, who works in manufacturing and service.
