State Rep. Ben Robbins (R-Sylacauga) found out about an influx of Haitian migrants in Sylacauga through the general public, the same way everyone else did. He is demanding answers from the federal government and says the lack of information is harming constructive discourse throughout the community.
“Without firm answers from the federal government, it causes conjecture and rumor and it's hard to prove or disprove anything,” Robbins told 1819 News.
Robbins is asking why the federal government placed people in Sylacauga, an area with few resources. He met some of the migrants staying in a hotel and saw some of them had government-issued work visas, but he isn’t sure where they are going to work.
“We don't have these large employers that are looking for 50 or 100 people to work,” he said. “We don't have that in Talladega County and so that's what's a little confusing about Sylacauga.”
Robbins is speaking to other lawmakers about possible legislation and ideas for a better understanding of how to handle people coming to the state on government programs.
“Maybe we could have resources or be able to provide information to the public,” Robbins said. “So, we are looking at some possible legislative solutions, if there are any. Then also, hopefully, if we put enough pressure on the federal government to finally provide us with the answers to these basic questions that we're asking.”
“I think that most people would see that Alabama is a great state but we just want to know [answers to] basic questions,” he said.
That conjecture has caused tension in the small city of just over 12,000. Community members sparred with council members on Thursday after being shut out of public comment on the matter. Robbins said the federal government is solely responsible for the panic that has been created.
“When someone has facts to provide to someone, when someone says disinformation or rumor, you can easily hold up a sheet of paper and you can say, ‘No, this is the fact,” he said. “But when you can't, when no person can do that and no person can counter a rumor or a falsehood, then that falsehood grows.”
“Then what is true, what is false?” he continued. “And so, at that point, it becomes a vicious cycle and people become scared. And why wouldn't you be scared when you don't have basic, I mean, very basic information?”
As a resident of Sylacauga, Robbins knows how welcoming and kind the people are. He said that hasn’t changed, and the simple fix to the problem is the feds providing answers.
“I think that now people are upset because they feel as if their government is not disclosing information to them and they want to know that information,” he explained. “They feel as if they're getting roadblocked and I feel that way too, and it's very frustrating to me that I cannot just give answers.”
Robbins sent a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday, but he said his mission to find answers does not end there. He plans to speak with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and other members of the federal delegation, who have reached out to Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to find out what program the migrants used to get to Alabama.
In the meantime, he hopes the people of Sylacauga can avoid being split apart over the issue.
“It is dividing the community in ways that it is causing people to be just frustrated, and it just creates a toxic, dangerous environment and that harms discourse,” he said.
“I think that if you can divide people, even at a local level, and cause small, rural communities, small towns [to divide], you bring them to a halt,” Robbins continued. “If you are successful at dividing the people and then you are successful at causing governments to be ineffective, then what is it that you have to do? You have to turn and look to the federal government and you have to look to a larger, bigger government to solve your problem because they created the problem and they're the only ones that can solve it. So, it's no longer the local people who can figure out problems on their own and solve them, but I would say it could be part of a larger plan to just create disinformation throughout the nation”
Robbins wants his constituents to know he is working to get answers and that there is no reason to panic.
“I don't think we should ever panic,” he said. “You always need to take a deep breath and figure out what's going on and anytime you react in a state of panic, you end up usually doing things in haste and you know the whole saying, ‘haste makes waste.’ If you act in haste, you create more waste and then you have to fix what you did.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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