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Illegal immigration hits home in city
Published August 30, 2008
While U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions was the headliner Tuesday at Albertville City Hall, several residents took center stage by expressing their concerns about illegal immigration.
Sessions, R-Ala., was in town for a forum to discuss the illegal immigration problem.
The two-term senator reported some good news, saying arrests dropped 20 percent last year. The previous year, he said authorities arrested 1.1 million people attempting to enter the country illegally. Sessions attributed the decrease in arrests to fewer people trying to enter the United States
The senator also lauded E-Verify, a system for employers to verify eligibility of employees. He said the bill authorizing the system expires Sept. 30 and is concerned reauthorization may be blocked. The system is voluntary, but Sessions favors mandatory E-Verify by employers.
Asked why E-Verify was only optional and not mandatory, Sessions said, “We didn’t have the votes to pass it. I’m telling you, a lot of people have no interest in making the immigration system lawful.”
Sessions supported the state’s right to consider legislation making E-Verify mandatory, like in Arizona.
Residents at the forum shared their frustrations with Sessions, describing how illegals are taking advantage of and overrunning the county’s hospitals, schools and welfare programs at the expense of taxpayers.
One lady said if Sessions lived here, “you would do something about it.”
Lindsey Lyons, who was elected to the Albertville City Council on Tuesday, told Sessions to put pressure on the Department of Homeland Security to provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement training for local law enforcement and to secure federal funding to locate a DHS satellite office and holding facility in Albertville. Lyons told the senator, “We’re a sanctuary city.”
Robert Ware, a Republican County Commission candidate who lost in the primary, told Sessions, “The root to all our problems is immigration.”
“Illegal immigration,” someone in the audience corrected.
Resident Linda Powell spoke up, mentioning the story of a Mexican prostitution ring in Albertville, which she said involved 12-year-old girls and was allowed to exist for seven years.
Sessions said the president has to help fix the immigration system, and voters should look at how the candidates plan to address illegals.
“I love President Bush,” said Sessions. “He’s done some good things. We’re doing some things better. Some of it Congress mandated, like the fence … I offered that amendment. They passed it and we made them build a fence. They didn’t really want it, but it’s helping. We also added more border patrol officers.
“But the people are upset. There are certain areas where the impact has been more dramatic than others. Obviously, this is one of those areas. It’s a legitimate concern. When people come up and ask you, ‘Why don’t you just enforce the law?’ it’s hard to not have an answer.
“Most of the frustration, I think, is focused at the politicians and those of us in Washington and the president. And not just this president. In ’86 there was a promise that we would have enforcement. It never occurred. So no president since has personally taken any leadership toward making this happen.
“Bush has done more than anybody, but he’s come at it very late. What I’ve learned in recent months and what we’ve seen from the statistics is that this is achievable. We can make dramatic improvements without near as much pain and cost as some people say if we do it smartly. That’s what we need to expect the next president to do.
“The next president will be the chief law enforcement officer in the country. Congress can’t indict anybody or arrest anybody. The executive branch does all that. Both candidates ought to be asked if they will take the necessary steps.
“Senator (Barack) Obama has not said anything. Senator (John) McCain has admitted that we need enforcement first now, which is a change from his previous policy. He hadn’t really given a lot of details. I’d like to see him give some more details, but he’s saying the right thing.”
One of the hot topics at the forum was 287(g) training, which allows the Department of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with local law enforcement agencies. The agreements permit local officers to perform Immigration and Customs Enforcement functions provided they receive the appropriate training.
Albertville police Chief Benny Womack and Marshall County Sheriff Scott Walls have struggled for months to get their officers 287(g) training but without much success.
Sessions said the state “has done a pretty good job of getting their people trained” but noted state law enforcement comprises only 5 percent of the officers in Alabama, while city and county officers make up the other 95 percent. Sessions said he will follow up on the training issue, saying he was told 287(g) training is expanding.
Walls said forums like the one Tuesday are important.
“I think the forums are valuable because it’s letting people know what goes on in our community and what we’re concerned about,” said the sheriff. “The law enforcement community is concerned about our monies being cut and our ability to function.”
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