The Marshall County Sheriff's Office arrested 14 illegal aliens during a six-hour traffic saturation detail last Thursday.
Sheriff Phil Sims said 12 of the subjects had criminal histories beyond illegal immigration, including DUI, fraud, domestic violence and distribution and possession of drug charges. Three had felony re-entry charges after having been previously deported. Thirteen of the individuals were Guatemalan nationals, and one was a Mexican national, he said.
Deputies and investigators conducted the traffic operation across the county around Douglas, Horton, Albertville and Nixon Chapel. Sims said Alabama Senate Bill 53 took effect on October 1, requiring law enforcement to verify the citizenship status of anyone lawfully stopped or detained with "reasonable suspicion" of unlawful presence and to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement if documentation isn't presented. It also creates a felony for knowingly transporting an illegal alien into the state, he said.
"With this law in effect, law enforcement contacted immigration officials in the area when anyone was encountered on lawful traffic detentions that could not verify their legal status," Sims said in a release. "Over the course of six hours, 14 subjects were ultimately taken into custody by immigration officials."
On Friday, Albertville residents gathered downtown for a community prayer event to call for unity in response to Thursday's arrests.
"With ICE raids these last few weeks and how hard they hit Thursday night, we felt like we needed to come together," said Migule Corona, a former Albertville City Council candidate who helped organize the event. "Pray for the Latino community, pray for our City, pray for our leaders, but most importantly, pray for our officers in our city. (Once this season passes, they still gotta stay here while ICE agents move on). We didn't want the younger generation coming up and trying to protest and put another target on our city. Prayer can move mountains."
Sims said his office was simply enforcing the law and would continue to do so with "empathy and compassion."
"We as law enforcement officers are bound by the law and the oath of office to enforce the law here in Marshall County. As Sheriff, that is what I intend to do. We will do so with empathy and compassion to the best of our ability, but the law will be enforced," he said.
"Immigration is an issue that has been dealt with here for many, many years. Everyone must have a valid driver's license to drive, have insurance, and must verify citizenship to work or authorization to work in the United States. You must not commit criminal acts, which goes for everyone, legal or illegal. Some of you may disagree with me on that, and that's fine. But I will do the job I was elected to do," Sims continued. "I'm sure there are a lot of good folks looking for a better life here who are here illegally, but it must be done the legal way. So, I encourage you to seek the legal route to becoming legal. I have prayed and dived into the Bible on this issue. God's word tells us that we should have empathy and compassion for foreigners in our land and the foreigners in a land should obey the laws of that land and abide by those God has placed in charge. Until immigration law is changed or updated, we must operate under the law."
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