ENTERPRISE — Hundreds gathered at Open Door Baptist Church on Thursday night to hear from whistleblower and former Trump advisor Jay Palmer about the immigration crisis in Coffee County and to voice their concerns. Multiple federal, state and local officials were represented.
"The current administration started bringing over people, in what they call the CHNV program, that's not authorized by Congress," explained Palmer. "It allows 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans or Venezuelans to come in every month into our country. Eighty percent of these people fly into Miami. … They're bused all over the country, hence why they're coming to Alabama."
The former Trump advisor said the Biden-Harris administration shut down the program in the first week of August because of financial fraud with the sponsors but restarted it in the last week of August with only one change: the sponsors had to be fingerprinted.
Under the program, illegal aliens are given an employment authorization document (EAD) to work, which gives them temporary legal status. However, the individuals who sponsor the illegal aliens to come are not vetted, and some of the sponsors are taking half of the immigrants' checks.
"They're human trafficking here. There's no doubt in my mind, I've got the proof," said Palmer. "…The State of Alabama is looking into the staffing agencies right now."
He added, "The people came to your community for two reasons: jobs and housing… Those jobs were advertised on job boards throughout the country. These staffing agencies have human traffickers that drive buses to pick people up, and they bring them to different communities… This is nothing but organized forced labor. … Why pay somebody $20 an hour, when you can pay somebody $7 an hour or $8 an hour?"
Palmer revealed that another 30,000 illegal aliens are scheduled to arrive in the first week of October, 1,000 of them in Baldwin County. He said the American Haitian pastors are concerned about the influx, as the new Haitians being flown in are not being vetted and are not assimilating.
Palmer noted that many "schools are being overrun" and police departments across the state are "stretched thin."
He added, "In Albertville, Alabama, there's not a house to rent. … The financial sponsors are buying up the houses, and they're renting them out at an ungodly amount of money."
Palmer said most elected officials were blindsided by the program, just like Alabamians.
"They weren't told about this program and the impact of this program," he explained. "These people were flown in at midnight. … It actually is illegal because it's not authorized by Congress."
He warned the Democratic Party is trying to make "a new voting bloc" and said that ballots are "going out in Alabama only to illegal immigrants."
Multiple concerned citizens asked questions and voiced their concerns. Elba resident Nancy Carnley said she saw illegals opening canisters and taking food at an Enterprise grocery store.
The manager told her, "If you don't like it, go somewhere else to shop."
Another citizen alleged that his neighbor had a high-powered rifle stolen. Other citizens voiced concerns about the special tax status, gun rights, Medicaid and other benefits given to illegals.
Enterprise resident Jesse Bowman said, "While we're not here to blame our local government, I can say that these questions have been being asked for several months, and we did not get a statement till yesterday…"
One citizen asked, "How is it constitutional, and how is it a valid law?… Do you think there's anywhere else to go? Have you been in California? Have you been to Chicago? This is it. They've done it there. They're going to do it here."
Zuma Fleury, owner of Benji's Cafe in Daleville, introduced herself as a Haitian who has lived in the United States for 40 years. Fleury said she knows the local Haitian community leaders and explained, "The agencies are not keeping their money from all of the people that I know, which is fortunate for them… They are getting paid an excellent check. They don't qualify for benefits. And they're paying for the hotel rooms."
Enterprise Police Chief Michael Moore said he visited the homes of Haitian immigrants months ago and found that every single one had the paperwork to work legally. Moore said he has not seen a rise in crime in the city but affirmed, "If they commit a crime in the city of Enterprise, we will arrest them."
He revealed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) no longer comes to Enterprise to deport illegals, but said that would change if former President Donald Trump is re-elected.
John Motley, who has worked at Pilgrim's Pride in Enterprise for 33 years as a maintenance technician, said, "I know of several managers who are against hiring illegal Haitians… I do not know of a single one that actually works there."
However, Motley said that Wayne Farms, only three miles from his house, is firing their Hispanic workers and hiring Haitians.
Palmer said he has spoken at several Haitian churches and is working with "the governor's office, the lieutenant governor's office, and the attorney general's office" to find solutions. Palmer also noted that America First Legal is leading a lawsuit against the CHNV program.
Clint Grantham, a candidate for Coffee County District 1 commissioner, urged citizens not to "create factions" but to work together.
"This is created specifically to be very difficult to dismantle. … This same administration told many of you that you had to get an mRNA vaccination that you didn't want, or you were going to lose your job. … Millions of Americans… and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds in this community stood together and said no. We had meetings, we worked together, we went to Montgomery, we did Jericho walks around our capital, and ultimately we prevailed," he stated.
Grantham encouraged residents to sign up for a hotline to document violations of law or local ordinances and "have something to carry to Montgomery."
Another resident named Angie encouraged residents to boycott Tyson Foods, Pilgrim's Pride and Wayne Farms, declaring, "There is something we can do… We, at some point, are going to have to sacrifice for our Christian beliefs… Let's all bond together and support our families."
Gerilynn Hanson from Albertville, where the immigration crisis has been severe, explained how they organized to address the problem by working with Baptist and Haitian pastors.
"In Albertville, we've got about 10-15,000 Haitians… we were all mad… but we still had to deal with the ones who were there," said Hanson. "And you know what we found, they're not so bad. They're being taken advantage of by everybody that they meet. … And when Pilgrim or whoever hires them drops them because their financial papers run out, that's where y'all are going to run into your problems. Ignoring them, leaving them alone, and not interacting with them is going to be your worst mistake."
Hanson recommended, "The only way you're going to make this better long term, no matter how the election turns out, you're going to have to help the Haitian people. You're going to have to educate them. You've got to teach them how to live in your society, not in their war-torn gain-infested society."
The organizers hope to increase awareness to take strategic action going forward.
One attendee said, "It encourages me beyond words to see so many concerned citizens here tonight."
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