Irondale Mayor Jame Stewart, Jr., recently announced that illegal immigrants will be safe in his city.
Not only will city law enforcement not work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Stewart said he plans to host training with the same group that the city provided funding to for them to stalk ICE agents and make it harder for them to arrest and deport violent criminals.
As previously reported by 1819 News, residents of Irondale have been paying for the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice to support programs that now include a warning system to track ICE agents.
SEE: City of Irondale funding Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice non-profit now tracking ICE agents
Citing Martin Luther King, Jr., Stewart attempted to draw parallels between the civil rights movement and what is happening today as federal officials seek to undo the damage caused by years of an open southern border under President Joe Biden.
Two days after Stewart's statements, a female ICE agent was assaulted with a knife during a traffic stop in Alabaster, 30 miles from Irondale.
In his city newsletter, Stewart wrote, "I'm 61 years old. I've lived through things. Watching ICE operations tear families apart in Irondale highlights the urgent need to address immigration policies affecting our community, which brings me back to King's final speech, the one where he said he'd seen the Promised Land but might not get there. I understand that now. This may be my last term. But I still have to do God's will. Every single day."
Among the problems in Irondale, Stewart mentioned, "parents detained, children scared, families stop shopping, workers disappear, people won't report crimes."
The Department of Homeland Security is urging families, including those with children, to sign up for self deportation using their app. Families who choose to leave the country on their own are eligible for fine forgiveness, travel document support and a $2,600 exit bonus. Children can travel with their families as well.
"The community we spent six years building can unravel fast when fear takes hold. But I believe in our resilience. Together, we can stand firm against intimidation and work to protect our families and neighbors from these threats," Stewart wrote.
He went on to tell AL(dot)com, "The city of Irondale will not assist ICE with raids." He also told the outlet, "The city is also working with the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Stewart said, to host a community discussion clarifying city leadership's position regarding immigration policies."
In his newsletter, Stewart said, "children fear their parents won't come home... Families who built this community with us are hunted."
He also added, "Economic security, the foundation of everything," can vanish "overnight because of immigration status."
The newsletter is available in English and Spanish.
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