Residents of a small Alabama city ranted about the influx of immigrants during a recent city council hearing, but lawmakers abruptly ended the hearing amid growing protests.
Meanwhile, state leaders have asked the federal government for clarification because the migrants are believed to be in the country legally under the Temporary Protected Status provisions granted to Haitian nationals by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
In Sylacauga, just south of NASCAR's Talladega Superspeedway, City Council Speaker Tiffany Nix suddenly restricted public comment as residents sought explanations for the recent showing of at least 50 migrants in the city.
“It's over,” Nix said in response to resident David Phillips, who had criticised the council's stance at last week's meeting as “completely unacceptable.”
“(Haiti) is a failed state. The president (Jovenel Moïse) was assassinated in 2021. There's no way the State Department can investigate these people,” Phillips said, before Nix interrupted after another resident shouted, “Let him speak.”
Immigration crisis rocks Boston area, schools stick to residency policies
Nix then made a motion to adjourn the meeting and ordered the gallery vacated.
“This is our city,” said a woman in the courtroom. “It's good to know they don't want to hear the truth,” said another.
Another resident questioned how local schools would be able to handle the new immigrants, noting that funds would be needed for children who only speak French-Creole, not English.
Over the commotion, Nicks could be heard asking, “What do you want us to do?”
At the start of the meeting, Nix said there was no reason to launch a city investigation and that people should not discriminate against others “because of the way they look.”
State Assemblyman Benjamin Robbins, who represents the city, sent a letter to Mayorkas on Thursday calling for federal action.
“As Secretary of Homeland Security, you are responsible for overseeing immigration enforcement and refugee resettlement,” he wrote.
“My district has recently seen an influx of Haitian migrants. You and your agency have failed to fulfill your responsibility to inform our community, keep local leaders informed, and answer questions about the refugee influx.”
Robbins said the situation has caused “panic and confusion” and left local leaders “powerless.” He said he would call for Congress to investigate if the Department of Homeland Security does nothing.
Sylacauga Mayor Jim Heigl told Alabama's 1819 News that the information that the immigrants are in the city legally “came out of (Governor Kay Ivey's) office, it came out of the offices of Mike Rogers, (Sen.) Katie Britt and (Sen.) Tommy Tuberville.”
Critics say President Biden's latest border order could encourage migrants to ignore immigration laws and commit marriage fraud.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt/File)
Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called the situation in his district “another example of the Biden-Harris Administration's foolish immigration policy failure.”
“I continue to be astonished by the complete incompetence of these two and their blatant hostility towards hardworking Americans. The only way to fix this is to re-elect President Trump,” Rogers said.
Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Leadbetter added that his biggest concern is the lack of information from the federal government about migrants already in the state.
“We've asked multiple times,” said Ledbetter, a Republican from Rainsville. “When they come here, communities like Sylacauga and Albertville are left dealing with a disaster. Our schools don't have the ESL resources to help these immigrant kids. Housing for these people is a problem, crime is a problem, and the federal government isn't providing any help whatsoever.”
Taborville told Fox News Digital that the federal government is abusing its parole power and that the power should be used sparingly and only for humanitarian purposes.
Instead, he said, the administration is using it as a vehicle for “mass amnesty for millions of people.”
“We have no idea who most of these people are,” Tuberville said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the city and directed them to Nix's email but did not receive a response.
Meanwhile, in Montgomery, state Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed, a Republican from Jasper, said Monday that the Biden administration is allowing millions of illegal immigrants to “invade,” creating a crisis.
“The immigration catastrophe they have openly encouraged is now hitting Americans across the country, including here in Alabama,” he said.
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Migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center on Dec. 7, 2023, in Lukeville, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“Alabama officials stand ready to use every tool available to us to clean up the chaos and mayhem their reckless policies have created,” Reed continued, adding that the crisis in Sylacauga underscores the importance of the presidential election.
Asked about the mayor's comments, a spokesman for Mayor Ivey said her office has not received any facts or communication from federal or local authorities on the matter.
“But apart from that, Alabamians and Americans across the country are rightfully concerned about the current Biden-Harris administration's pro-illegal immigration policies, which is certainly contributing to the concerns of people in Sylacauga and other communities,” Gina Maiola said.
“People are on high alert, and Governor Ivey will continue to enforce the law and do everything in Alabama's power to secure our southern border and protect our citizens from the harmful effects of illegal immigration.”
DHS did not respond to a request for comment for this article.
