A member of the Sylacauga City Council informed Fox News that folks in her metropolis need solutions as to the reason for Haitian immigration to the world.
Sylacauga City council member Laura Barlow Heath, in a video interview, mentioned the town officers haven't any solutions from federal authorities to give to their constituents.
“There is a fear here of becoming the next Springfield, Ohio, you know,” she mentioned.
“When is enough enough? When do they stop coming in? How many are there going to be? There’s no answers. We have none. The unknown and uncertainty is scary. We have 12,236 people in our community, and we just do not have the adequate resources to handle an influx of migrants. It’s going to take away from resources that are already struggling here.”
Heath has served on the council since 2020.
The council dismissed a gathering earlier this month after solely 20 minutes following questions from a number of residents about latest Haitian immigration to the world.
Several residents mentioned they wished to know the way the town knew staff coming there have been authorized immigrants, who had decided this, and what impact they had been having on crime and housing.
The council at a later assembly took extra questions.
See additionally: Haitian immigrants fleeing unrest and dealing with exploitation discover ‘Alabama is the best place to live’
Sylacauga, like Athens and Albertville, has seen controversy on social media associated to Haitian immigration, which some residents are blaming for crime, scarce housing, and overcrowded faculties.
Heath mentioned she does “feel bad” for Haitian immigrants, a few of whom she feels are being trafficked for labor.
“They’re in a foreign country… It’s almost like a case of human trafficking…Even though they’re not working, people are hiring them in at a lower rate of pay. That’s just not right. Nobody wins in that situation at all,” she mentioned.
However, she says metropolis officers have discovered nothing from federal authorities in regards to the variety of Haitians who've come to the world.
Officials in a number of counties in Alabama the place Haitian immigration has been reported say they haven't encountered an increase in crime, opposite to rumors, and that college enrollment will increase have been consistent with current developments. Haitian immigration started rising earlier this yr after unrest on the Caribbean island attributable to gang exercise.
The federal Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) Parole Program permits immigrants from Haiti, together with three different international locations, to enter the U.S. with out entry paperwork if they've a sponsor, meet sure pointers and bear a vetting.
The program resumed final month after an investigation into fraud and as soon as further safety measures had been added. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville this month criticized this system.
“The main thing is, I want to know why Sylacauga. Why here? We already have a housing crisis. We don’t have a lot of availability in jobs. So many uncertainties,” Heath mentioned.
She additionally fears {that a} lack of awareness could lead to “civil unrest.”
“I believe people are very protective of their property,” she mentioned. “And there’s fear with them not working, that when people are hungry or not working or in need, that they’re going to start vandalizing property and breaking in, because again…their culture is very broken right now, especially when it comes to laws and rules.”
