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Athens nonprofit prepares to help Hispanic community in face of deportations

WUGA | By Emma Auer,
Alexzundra Tillman, Alexia Ridley
Published February 1, 2025 at 6:22 AM EST

In his first week as president, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order calling for the removal of all people without legal status in the US. Activists in Athens are not standing by.

WUGA’s Alexia Ridley sat down with the Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition’s Coordinator Beto Mendoza to discuss how the local Hispanic community has reacted to recent events, and what his organization is doing in response.
Local News
Emma Auer
Emma Auer is an award-winning reporter who joined WUGA as a full-time producer in 2024. She is also a graduate student in UGA's Romance Languages Department, studying French and Spanish. She covers the breadth of Northeast Georgia stories, from Athens City Hall to Winterville farmers' markets. Emma's work has also been heard on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
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Alexzundra Tillman
Alexzundra Tillman is a part-time reporter and producer. She is currently pursuing her masters degree in Film and Television studies at UGA and hopes to work at the cross section of these two fields in the future.
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Alexia Ridley
Alexia Ridley joined WUGA as Television and Radio News Anchor and Reporter in 2013. When WUGA TV concluded operations, she became the primary Reporter for WUGA Radio. Alexia came to Athens from Macon where she served as the News Director and show host for WGXA TV. She's a career journalist and Savannah native hailing from the University of Michigan. However, Alexia considers herself an honorary UGA DAWG!
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