About 150 people gathered at a church in Albertville on Tuesday evening to express their displeasure at what they saw as a lack of action at the local, state and federal levels to curb the impact of immigration.
Gerilyinn Hanson, an electrician, was one of the organizers of the meeting. She said one of the goals had been achieved.
“We had to bring the anger that was up here a few days ago,” she said, raising her hand above her head, “over here” and lower it a few feet down.
“We had to talk about it, without racist insults and without slang. Because we are not looking for arguments. We are looking for solutions.”
The anger Hanson spoke of erupted last week when photos of people getting on and off charter buses in Albertville were shared on Facebook, with users wondering what purpose these buses served, who was on them and where they came from.
Poultry producer Pilgrim’s Pride used charter buses to transport its employees to and from its recently expanded Russellville plant. The company later announced it would no longer use the buses.
By that time, however, residents had already expressed frustration over what they said had been years of efforts to properly enforce building and electrical codes, ensure legal occupancy of residential properties and address nuisances.
There has been a lot of talk about “open borders,” so much so that city leaders released a statement against what they called “a climate of controversy, baseless accusations and hurtful rhetoric.”
David McMillen, pastor of the church, was concerned about the tone the meeting might take. Before the program began, he told the audience that they were “not here to argue and throw tantrums.” He then told the story of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus used to show who a neighbor is, he said.
McMillen said he felt that community members had behaved well and that something good could come out of it.
“I understand the frustration,” he said. “The city has had these problems for a long time.”
The keynote speaker was Jay Palmer, a Eufaula native who testified before Congress on immigration issues in 2015. Palmer was the whistleblower in a case that led to a $34 million settlement with technology giant Infosys to resolve visa fraud charges.
“There’s a lot your city can do and a lot it can’t do,” he said. Palmer said local authorities’ ability to crack down on immigration is limited.
However, he blamed businesses wanting cheap labor to attract immigrants to the area and “the left wanting a new electorate,” he said.
“The current (Biden) administration is seeking mass amnesty,” he said. “The reason they are doing these things is to win votes.”
There was no mention of a bipartisan immigration reform bill that failed earlier this year after opposition from former President Donald Trump.
But the gathering at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church became heated at times. One speaker said Haitians “smell. They’re not like us. They’re not here to be Americanized. They don’t care about schools. They’re scary, people.”
Other comments focused on the city’s police force, which some say does not have enough officers or enough money to deal with the problems caused by immigration and to properly enforce the laws.
Some said if the city were to adequately enforce building codes, it would create a homeless problem.
But participants at the meeting also expressed their concern for the city’s immigrant population. Hanson pointed to the buses that had sparked the meeting.
She said workers ride three hours on the bus to get to work for 10 hours and then look forward to a three-hour bus ride home.
Other participants spoke of their concern for the schoolchildren they see there who come from immigrant families. One asked if there had been any church support for the city’s Haitian community.
Enrique Gomez is the son of a Spanish immigrant from Barcelona. He said his family “learned English, paid taxes and supported America.” But he said local, state and federal agencies are doing nothing to address problems such as raw sewage seeping into watersheds.
Lisa Williams, who has lived in Albertville for 25 years, said people in town are frustrated because nothing happens when they report unkempt yards or building code violations.
“City leaders see all of this,” she said. “It’s not about the color of someone’s skin. It’s about doing the right thing.”
