ALBERTVILLE, Ala. — The recent influx of migrant workers has been the talk of Albertville. But it's how some people are expressing these concerns that has others questioning the debate itself.
Unique Dunston, founder of Reclaiming Our Time, shares some of the comments. "Along with the questions came assumptions, very harmful assumptions that these people were dirty, that they smelled, that they weren't like us. All of those things were being thrown out there in a very public way.
It's been a staple of social media and public meetings. And the tension surrounding immigrants in the city is nothing new, according to Dunston. "Albertville used to be 98% white. As late as the nineties, like early nineties. Then the late nineties come around and we see an increase in our Hispanic population. The same thing that they are doing now. Their reaction to the Haitians is the same exact way they reacted to the Hispanic community coming in. As time went on, people adjusted. Now there's a new group. I think with a new group and with this new group having darker skin, I think that has just been too much for them to handle. Like, they're like, 'I can't take it anymore. I did it once. I'm not doing it again.'"
Some speaking out about the migrants say it's not about race, with comments like, ""This isn't about the nation. This isn't about the Spanish, This isn't about the Hispanics. This isn't about anybody. People are trying to make this about race. They're trying to divide our city. But we're not going to give up."
Dunston wants to see more education to go along with all the conversation. "We are going to begin educating our migrant community and our community as a whole on their rights that they have for just being here in this country, whether you're undocumented or not. I think it is going to be very important moving forward, especially hearing that the city does plan to enforce these zoning ordinances."
Previous story:
Monday night's City Council meeting in Albertville grew heated as groups opposed to enforcement of an ordinance that would limit the number of people who could live in an apartment turned out to make their voices heard.
A coalition of 20 organizations from across Alabama signed on to a letter to Albertville mayor Tracy Honea and city council members, saying proposed enforcement of Ordinance 1454-15 would be discriminatory towards migrants in the city. The ordinance allows for a maximum of two people to live in a studio or one-bedroom apartment. The group says claims these ordinances, which went into place in 2015, have not been enforced, and enforcing them now "would be directed toward migrants living together for survival".
The letter states:
Dear Mayor Honea and Albertville City Council,
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our concerns about the proposed enforcement of Zoning Ordinances 1454-15/897-08. The enforcement of these ordinances would clearly be directed toward migrants living together for survival. The enforcement measures as they are being proposed are inherently discriminatory and threaten not only the people directly impacted, but our city as a whole. Albertville should take pride in their ability to welcome new people, love our neighbors, and invest in our community.
We understand Albertville is facing challenges. It is hard for families from all walks of life to find housing. The cost of living keeps increasing. Reclaiming Our Time serves hundreds of Albertville residents every month. We see the needs up close on a regular basis. Some people in this community are pushing the baseless idea that our new neighbors, particularly those from Haiti, are to blame for the challenges we all face. Putting our hardworking neighbors on the street will not make our housing more affordable. It will not make the cost of living go down. It will not decrease crime. Our new neighbors are not the source of our challenges and scapegoating them will only hurt us all.
If, as a city, we choose to turn our backs on our neighbors – we will lose an opportunity to not only live up to the vision listed on your website, but to have additional friends and neighbors with whom we can face these challenges together. Moreover, what will people looking to invest in our community see? Will they see a dynamic community ready for new ideas, new businesses, new jobs? Or will they see a community that chases out growth and change?
The City of Albertville has a choice to make. Do we want to live up to our values of being a welcoming community that cares for our neighbors? Or, will we succumb to the temptation to scapegoat some of our neighbors for our shared challenges? We are signing this letter not only as people who want the best for our neighbors, but as people who want the best for Albertville as well. We are joined by those from across Alabama who want to see our state flourish.
Signed,
Unique Morgan Dunston, Founder of Reclaiming Our Time
and:
- Reclaiming Our Time
- ACLU of Alabama
- Fair Housing Center of Northern Alabama Alabama
- Coalition of Immigrant Justice
- Project Say Something
- The Reverend Shari Harrison
- The Reverend Ben Alford
- Minister Daniel Rogers
- Standing In Power
- Welcoming America North Alabama
- Showing Up for Racial Justice(SURJ)
- Bham Stands
- At The Root Collective
- North Alabama Democratic Socialists of America
- Faith and Works Statewide Civic Engagement Collective
- Black Lives Matter Birmingham
- Mary's House Catholic Worker
- Jacob Morrison, President of the North Alabama Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO
- Birmingham Showing Up for Racial Justice( Bham SURJ)
- Ashley S. McGuire, MLIS, PhD
PREVIOUS STORY
In Marshall County, concerns are rising over the reported influx of working migrants in Albertville. This has led to meetings and letters addressing potential impacts on public safety, schools, and other local services. FOX54’s Ken McCoy spoke with Alabama Senator Wes Kitchens about what is being done to address these issues.
Senator Wes Kitchens told FOX54 on Wednesday that the concern is not about immigrants taking jobs, but rather the strain that the increased population puts on local institutions already facing overcrowding issues.
“For many years, we've had an immigrant population that's moved into this area back 20, 30 years,” Kitchens said.
The reported increase in migrant numbers in areas like Athens and Albertville has heightened concerns among residents. Kitchens says that this reported increase could make existing problems worse.
"Our school system when you talk about Albertville specifically. But in many other school systems, we're out of space," Kitchens said.
Kitchens added that the increased population could worsen the teacher shortage. “It’s tough trying to fill positions. If you have 20 or 30 kids, that’s a whole new teacher unit that you have to add. When we already have a teacher shortage around Alabama,” he explained.
Law enforcement could also face challenges with the growing population. “From a law enforcement standpoint, first responders, more people tend to lead to more calls. So, you know, we're trying to recruit people to fill these positions. But when we already have shortages in some of these positions, adding population in a very short amount of time just really increases the growing pains that you may have from that,” Kitchens said.
In response, Kitchens has sent a letter to Washington urging a reconsideration of federal policies. “The only option that we have right now is for federal policy change. And that comes from the top. So that was what I wanted to do through this process, was make them aware of things that are happening right here in my district,” he said.
Kitchens shares that his actions are limited at the state level but he remains committed to exploring all options. "We've had a great response from our federal delegation with Congressman Strong, Congressman Aderholt, Senators Britt and Tuberville. All of them have been more than eager to work with us on solutions. And those are the people that represent these areas that we're talking about right now. But, you know, without a change in administration at the top, then these policies may or may not be able to make it through the congressional process," Kitchens added.
FOX54 also reached out to Albertville City Council President Nathan Broadhurst, who could not comment but mentioned that another meeting on the issue is scheduled for Monday. We will continue to update you as this story develops.