ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Public Safety has issued a statement defending one of its troopers after a north Georgia media outlet criticized her for conducting traffic stops and making arrests that the agency says were lawful and consistent with Georgia law.

In the statement, DPS said Trooper Corporal Shackleford has the agency’s “full support” and emphasized that the department has not changed its day-to-day law enforcement operations or practices as a result of participation in the federal 287(g) program.

According to DPS, Georgia law authorizes and requires state troopers and officers to conduct traffic stops when they have reasonable articulable suspicion or probable cause to believe a motorist has violated a traffic law. The agency stressed that its sworn personnel do not stop motorists or other individuals for the purpose of checking immigration status.

The department further explained that when a trooper discovers during a lawful traffic stop that a driver is operating a vehicle without a valid license, Georgia law classifies the offense as arrestable. In those cases, the driver is transported to the local jail for processing, which DPS described as standard procedure regardless of the individual’s citizenship status.

“Corporal Shackleford has our agency’s full support in this matter,” the department said in its statement.

“While we do not wish to give further attention to this attempt to defame her, we feel compelled to show our support for her and all of our DPS sworn members in their continuing efforts to keep our roadways safe.”

DPS acknowledged that immigration enforcement remains a divisive issue nationally but reiterated that its troopers enforce Georgia traffic laws and that driving without a valid license is an arrestable offense for both citizens and non-citizens.