Residents in Albertville and Boaz have expressed grave concern with the rising Haitian population after seeing what appeared to be charter buses dropping off migrants around the city.
After much public outcry and speculation on social media, the City of Albertville issued a statement Friday confirming the buses, which have also been reported in Cullman and Athens, were being used to transport workers to and from a job site, not to import migrants from other countries directly.
“From the moment Albertville city leaders were made aware of charter buses picking up and dropping off passengers within our city and throughout our county, we have been working closely with our neighboring municipalities and their elected officials, local law enforcement personnel, and our state and federal legislators in a collaborative effort to obtain and only disseminate factual information, and not until we had the answers necessary to do so," a press release from Albertville officials stated.
According to a statement sent to 1819 News and the City by Pilgrim’s — one of the largest chicken producers in the United States — Pilgrim's contracted the buses to transport local workers to and from their recently expanded plant in Russellville.
“A few months ago, our Russellville, Ala., facility had an expansion that resulted in increased job opportunities at the plant,” Pilgrim’s statement read. “Our neighboring facility that experiences low turnover has had an applicant waitlist for quite some time. Because of this, we hired many of those individuals and provide transportation to and from the Russellville plant for our team members who live in the surrounding areas, something we have been doing for months. At Pilgrim’s, we have best-in-class workforce eligibility, safety and compliance standards.”
Local officials emphasized that Albertville is not a sanctuary city and has never received funding to accept migrants from any country.
“Our city government does not have the authority to enforce or affect federal immigration policies, but we are no stranger to the local impacts these policies have and the challenges they present are not new,” the release stated. “Albertville has been at the forefront in seeking solutions to these challenges. For years, our administration, along with those that came before us, has proactively sought support from our state and federal legislators and policy influencers on a number of issues once unique to our area.”
Albertville leadership said it has been in contact with the governments of the surrounding cities of Boaz, Arab and Guntersville about the issue and has been talking with state and federal officials, including U.S. Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn).
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Albertville encouraged its citizens to engage and ask questions respectfully and not jump to conclusions or use “hurtful rhetoric.”
“It is deeply unfortunate that as our students returned to school this week, they did so amidst a climate of controversy, baseless accusations, and hurtful rhetoric toward the families of some of their classmates,” Albertville leaders said. “It is your right to ask questions of your elected officials and hold them accountable and Albertville city leaders will always work to be as transparent and diligent as possible in addressing your concerns, but we will not support or condone any narrative or discourse that seeks to marginalize individuals in our community based on their race or ethnicity."
They continued, “To those who have expressed criticism, due or undue, without any form of understanding— we extend an invitation to engage with us constructively. Your elected officials are citizens just like you and welcome the opportunity to discuss the issues our community faces in practical and productive ways.
“In true Albertville fashion, our focus will remain on innovation and our commitment to quality of-life enhancement in every area of our authority and capability of improving. This includes working outside of the box to implement our municipal code of ordinances, forging stronger relationships and advocacy efforts with our state and federal representatives, as well as leaders of our business and industry base. We remain committed to facing these challenges head on, while also protecting the safety, prosperity and inclusivity of all our residents and community," the leaders added.
Read Albertville's full statement below:
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