MOBILE — It was like a scene out of the movie "The Sound of Freedom" — real-life episodes of law enforcement fighting human trafficking, drug trafficking and border security violations.
It was a basic 101 course on what those in Alabama can do.
Retired Homeland Security special agent Angelo Fermo spoke Tuesday to the Eagle Forum of West Mobile.
The large group of Mobile County residents at Hill Spring Baptist Church heard how human trafficking, drug trafficking and illegal immigration are all related. They are a problem here in Alabama, not just in border states. Every state is now a border state.
Fermo told his story of growing up in a small farming town in Mississippi to becoming a U.S. special agent in Texas. He described his 20 years of law enforcement service under four U.S. presidents. Under President Donald Trump's first term, he saw how federal agents were allowed to do the jobs they were hired to do, how Trump pushed his promise of combating illegal immigrants and cartels, and how he put American workers first.
Fermo, now a Baldwin County resident, explained the aggressive "work site operations" designed to remove immigrants illegally employed at U.S. businesses and punish U.S. employers with financial penalties for not hiring and employing U.S. workers.
He said he believed the incoming second Trump administration would aggressively ramp up deportation operations of criminal illegal immigrants and increase our assets at the border. He described all the tools in a tool belt an officer must carry to do their job.
Fermo outlined a way to decrease illegal immigration using state laws similar to those that Florida Gov. Ron Desantis passed and implemented.
"It's not necessary to reinvent the wheel. We can study what has already been done successfully in other states and adapt those effective approaches to Alabama. Our neighbor in Florida would be a good place to start," Fermo said.
Not just one solution. Multiple solutions
Fermo stated he hopes to see stronger federal laws, stronger state laws, a border wall, drones and increases in border patrols and ICE officers — all working together as tools to enforce immigration law. Fermo stated that he personally doesn't want to see the hard-working immigrants currently in the United States targeted as they themselves are also being taken advantage of and extorted by the criminal handlers.
He stated, "It is up to Congress to come up with a plan to address the illegal immigrants currently here in the United States. If there is going to be a plan, we should see it in the first two years of the second Trump administration."
"I am excited and hopeful that the Republican Congress, having the House, the Senate and presidency, can do something amazing and pass immigration laws that lead to major changes and perhaps in our lifetime make some laws that will impact the United States for years to come — laws that the criminal illegal immigrants are fearful of breaking," Fermo added.
Fermo stated he would love to see a law to solve the revolving-door problem of when a convicted illegal alien serves their time and, is deported and then returns to the United States.
"Should that person keep coming back to the United States after they are deported, a five-year mandatory incarceration would be levied to deter the bad actors from attempting to come back into the United States and continuing to prey on our law-abiding people," he explained.
Fermo was asked his thoughts on the New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.
He said, "For years the conflicts in the Middle East have occupied our attention overseas. However, I can see a return of those type attacks stateside. People should not be fearful to go out in public but just adopt the policy of 'See something, say something.'"
Fermo continued, "It's better to report it to the police than not do anything and not report it at all."
Fermo said he and his team were at the 2019 Naval Air Station terrorist attack in Pensacola, where a deranged flight student from Saudi Arabia who had pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda killed several military personnel on base. Fermo said he saw then that President Trump was engaged in the daily details of that event.
"President Trump was sending directions through the White House on ways to make sure the people on the Gulf Coast would be protected, even if that protection meant removing the other immigrants affiliated with the NAS terrorist to make sure U.S. citizens in our community were safe," he outlined.
Fermo said these actions garnished his respect for Trump as a president — putting Americans first.
Fermo said he saw the change in morale in the Homeland Security Office in Mobile once Joe Biden became president in 2021. He described how, in the first few Biden months, his team was not allowed to question any illegal immigrant's status — they were to refer to them as undocumented non-citizens, and it was as if they were no longer allowed to enforce the laws.
Fermo said the Biden Administration had gone so far during the COVID-19 pandemic and forcing the COVID-19 shot on employees who refused to take the shot that DHS put a countdown clock on all DHS computers counting down till the last day employees could refuse to take the COVID shot or some kind of disciplinary or termination process would begin. It was these things that Fermo stated are why he is excited to see President Trump's second term, as he feels his colleagues in the government can get back to doing the jobs they love.
Fermo went on to describe his time working on the Mexico/Texas border areas in the early 2000s, loving his time working his law enforcement operations against the Mexican cartels. He described their criminal workings and how they move drugs and traffic humans in exchange for financial gains.
Fermo described how his hard work led to the approval of his requested transfer to Alabama, where he would go on to work on child predator investigations and national security cases. It was working these cases which led to his introduction to the "Children's Rescue Initiative," an organization helping children and women trafficked in slavery.
Fermo described how the Children's Rescue Initiative had a spiritual impact on his life when he was asked to be a board member of the group and has, in a way, saved his life more than people could know. Fermo stated that this organization helps save children from slavery and places them with loving church families.
That turning point in Fermo's career came when he landed a case involving child sexual assault and trafficking from Mobile County. It was a harrowing situation that would forever alter the course of his life. After successfully completing the mission and apprehending those responsible for the heinous acts, Fermo experienced a profound realization: this was not just a job but his calling. The encounter changed something within him, prompting a commitment to fight against the insidious forces of child trafficking.
While in Mobile, Fermo occasionally collaborated with Tim Harry, founder of Severance Security and board member for The Children's Rescue Initiative.
After retiring from federal service, Fermo was presented with the opportunity to join the board of The Children's Rescue Initiative. However, he had one condition for accepting the role: he wanted to participate in a mission to witness firsthand the impact of their work. This request was met with enthusiasm, and after embarking on the mission, Fermo returned with a renewed sense of purpose. He knew he had partnered with the correct initiative, surrounded by dedicated partners committed to ending the scourge of human trafficking.
The work of the Children's Rescue Initiative is a necessary response to the alarming reality of modern slavery. Each mission is a reminder of the importance of community involvement, awareness, and action. Fermo's journey embodies the spirit of resilience and dedication to a cause that affects millions worldwide—one that demands our collective attention.
Fermo's journey is a rallying call for all of us to take action—whether through donations, volunteer work, spreading awareness about this critical issue, or daily being on the lookout – "See something, say something."
Jim' Zig' Zeigler writes about Alabama's people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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