Alabama’s fourth congressional district runs from the Mississippi and Tennessee lines in northwest Alabama, all the way over to the Georgia line in northeast Alabama. I think it is arguably the most unique and interesting congressional district in Alabama, maybe in America.
I also know that an issue that is not unique to one part of the district, is the influx of immigrants, both legal and illegal. Illegal immigrants have been trespassing our southern border for more than a century.
President Theodore Roosevelt sent mounted patrols to watch over the southern border as far back as 1904 because of people entering the country illegally and sidestepping the immigration process.
In the late 1980s, as Americans started consuming more chicken to avoid red meat, the southern border became a highway of cheap labor to meet the demands of this trend.
People in Albertville and the surrounding communities, like Kilpatrick and Boaz, know first-hand how this has, in many ways, transformed communities with large numbers of illegal immigrants.
There is no doubt that Washington has struggled to get a handle on illegal immigration. My Republican colleagues and I want to secure the border, stop the flow of illegal immigrants, put the gangs, the cartels and the human traffickers out of business, and deport those who should not be here.
On the other side of the aisle, most Democrats, it seems, are willing to keep the open border and certainly won’t entertain the idea of deportations. I believe they see this as paying future electoral dividends. With a deeply divided government, this leaves us at an impasse, where the problem continues.
Many books have been written on the topic of illegal immigration, but the main purpose of this letter is to talk about the current issue with what is, for the most part, legal immigration to some of these same areas of the district by predominantly Haitian migrants.
Haiti has been in political turmoil for decades now, made worse by a 2010 earthquake that killed more than 100,000 people. They have not had a president in years, have no legislative quorum, and their judicial system is in tatters.
Because of this, the Biden administration has granted many Haitians asylum, which means they have entered our country legally – although I will be the first to say this process also needs reform.
We are a compassionate nation, and those of us who love this country and think it’s the greatest country in the world certainly understand why people would want to come here. However, the issue is the impact this policy is having on areas that have already been pushed to their limits by illegal immigration. Our area is a case in point.
A nation and immigration system cannot ingest more people than it can digest. Legal or otherwise. Today’s influx is causing a strain on local law enforcement with what reports suggest are Haitian gangs. Then there is the toll it is taking on the school systems.
Haitian migrants and their children for the most part speak Haitian Creole, which is a French dialect. Schools do not have teachers or aides that can communicate with these children or their parents. So, naturally, this means schools need more tax dollars to educate these children. This situation is not sustainable.
I realize that most of you reading this letter fully understand what the problems are, and you are looking for answers. My staff and I are working on this, both in Washington and here in north Alabama.
We are working to find out what kind of resources are being provided from the government and/or non-profits, and who is directing the Haitian migrants to these areas. It’s only when we can get a full grasp of the facts and cut out the rumors, that we can truly affect change.
We are also working and talking with your elected state legislative delegation, Governor Ivey’s office and the rest of the federal delegation. We want to address this issue head-on.
Without full cooperation at all levels of government, and across party lines, our communities will continue to struggle with this issue. And as I said, this is not sustainable.
Robert Aderholt represents Alabama’s 4th District. This article was originally published in "The Sand Mountain Reporter" and is republished here with permission.
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