Residents of the City of Irondale have been paying for the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice to support programs that now include a warning system to track Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the behest of the city's Mayor James Stewart, Jr.
During the November 2023 meeting, in which the first $2,500 was approved, no one from the organization was present to answer questions. Video of that meeting showed Stewart expressly stating, "I want to give this disclaimer the organization didn't come to the city asking the city for money I did this on my own after having a conversation with the organization so I don't want anybody to think that the organization came to me for a donation but after talking to them understanding what they do I decided to do this for my discretionary fund on my own."
The lone objections came from Councilwoman Cindy Cuellar, who made a point to detail her strong personal support for the immigrant community before raising questions about the organization's political activities, actions intended to influence elections, and concerns about their budget.
In a January 2024 job posting for an executive director, the organization said, "Our coalition partners include esteemed organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center, Alabama ACLU, Greater Birmingham Ministries, Alabama Appleseed, Alabama State NAACP, Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, and 14 grassroots organizations led by immigrants themselves."
She detailed and later posted on her Facebook page that the organization's IRS Form 990 included that 84% of the group's funding went to overhead expenses versus 16% towards the mission. She stressed concerns for those who need the services, "I don't want them exploited. I don't want them exploited."
Resident concerns ranged from concerns over the vague description of services to potential conflicts of interest with political or partisan activities. Even still, two resolutions approving $2,500 annual contracts in 2023 and 2024 were approved by the council and signed by Stewart and City Council president David Spivey.
Both contracts read, "Contractor hereby agrees to provide programs for the benefit of Latinx citizens of the City of Irondale, including severe weather awareness workshops."
There is no evidence on the group's website that they provide such workshops. Instead, their example workshops are listed as:
- Know Your Rights
- Family Preparedness
- Labor Rights
- Voter Participation
The group's website highlights that their services include, "We also offer crucial information and strategies for a rapid and effective response to ICE raids and immigration enforcement actions," providing tips such as do not open doors for or talk to ICE officials.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
