Steve Marshall meets with Talladega County police regarding Haitian migrants

“We believe the (Biden administration) is exceeding the authority given to it by Congress for the program, and that is currently being litigated,” he said.

Marshall said he is especially interested in whether these sponsors are committed and active on behalf of the people of Sylacauga.

City officials estimate that there are as many as 60 Haitians living in the city. According to the 2023 census, Sylacauga's total population is just over 12,000, with about 64% of residents being white.

According to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau figures, there are 2,569 Haitians living in Alabama.

“It confirmed what I think we're learning, which is that sponsorship is a fiction, that there is no financial support for those who come here that will not help them find housing, find a job and integrate into society,” Marshall said.

The Attorney General also wanted to find out whether law enforcement had identified any problems that his office could help with.

“We obviously have an interest in combating human trafficking and making sure that there is no human trafficking. We have expressed our willingness to be able to help if they do indeed identify human trafficking,” he said.

Marshall said he left the meeting with a good feeling.

“Law enforcement is fully aware of what is going on in the community and otherwise there has been no confirmation of any criminal activity that they were aware of,” he said.

Marshall said he also wants to find out if there were any Venezuelan gangs in Alabama communities, which have been reported in other states such as Texas and Colorado.

“There was nothing to indicate that Sylacauga had seen this,” he said.

Marshall said he did not know exactly how many migrants were in Sylacauga and said many of them were only there temporarily, which again is not the intent of the CHNV program.

“Whether they are and will remain in Talladega County is still unclear,” he said.

He said Marshall County has been particularly affected, perhaps more than any other community in Alabama he has heard of.

“It's an area where we're aware of additional criminal activity,” Marshall said. “We know several have been charged, including some for violent crimes.”

Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims said in August that he was not aware of any increase in crime in the county due to Haitian immigration.

Robin Lathan, a spokesman for the city of Albertville, said the same applies there.

“When you look at the data year after year, including arrest reports, the type of 911 calls received and demographic information, there is no evidence that, first, crime has increased in Albertville or, second, that it has increased as a result of Haitian immigration,” Lathan said in a statement.

Marshall said he has a dual interest in finding out what is happening.

“One is, are there concerns within law enforcement on a number of issues, including human trafficking, that we need to be advocating for?” he said. “And the other is the role of attorneys general in preventing the federal government from exceeding its authority. In this case, it's the scope and application of the parole program, particularly with regard to sponsors and their role in bringing individuals into the country.”