Sylacauga City Council abruptly ends meeting after residents question the influx of Haitian immigrants

09/23/2024 / By Laura Harris

Sylacauga City Council member Laura Barlow Heath has criticized her colleagues for abruptly shutting down a council meeting when residents questioned the overwhelming influx of Haitian migrants in this Alabama city.

On Sept. 5, Council President Tiffany Nix abruptly adjourned the council meeting after just 20 minutes following heated questions from residents about how the city knew the workers coming were legal immigrants, who had determined this, and what effect they were having on crime and housing.

Another resident also criticized the council for treating the immigrants like “lawful U.S. citizens,” implying that they were not, and that’s when tensions flared. Nix stepped in, claiming that the council had no reason to launch an investigation into individuals based solely on their appearance.

“OK, so I’m going to cut it off…again, we have no reason to launch an investigation or to treat people differently because of how they look,” Nix said. “These individuals came here from Haiti. Haiti is a failed state. Their president was assassinated in 2021. There’s no way the State Department can vet these individuals.”

A few weeks after the council meeting, Barlow Heath criticized her colleagues for their response in an interview with Fox News.

“There is a fear here of becoming the next Springfield, Ohio, you know,” she said. “When is enough enough? When do they stop coming in? How many are there going to be? There are no answers. We have none. The unknown and uncertainty are scary. We have 12,236 people in our community, and we just do not have adequate resources to handle an influx of migrants. It’s going to take away from resources that are already struggling here.” (Related: Springfield factory owner revels in replacing American workers with Haitian migrants.)

Heath also clarified that while the council addressed more of the questions in a follow-up meeting, Sylacauga officials have not been provided any guidance or information from federal authorities regarding the scope of the immigration. “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,” she said.

Moreover, the council member argued that the lack of employment opportunities for Haitian immigrants might eventually lead to civil unrest.

“I believe people are very protective of their property. 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.”

CBP data reveals CHNV parole program allows at least 530,000 immigrants to enter U.S.

The influx of Haitian immigrants in Sylacauga mirrors similar situations in other Alabama communities, such as Albertville and Athens.

For instance, in August, photos of Haitian workers being transported to and from a poultry processing plant in Albertville on Facebook sparked fears, frustration and anger among residents. Many social media users demanded answers about their identity, purpose and whereabouts.

“They’re not like us. They’re not here to be Americanized. They don’t care about schools. They’re scary, folks,” one resident claimed.

That same month, residents of Athens confronted City Councilman Chris Seibert during a council meeting for allowing Haitian workers to rent his properties. Some even questioned their participation in local schools and whether they were working and voting illegally.

Residents are deeply concerned about the changing demographics and the impact on schools and neighborhoods due to the sudden increase in Haitian migrants to Alabama.

Especially after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed that the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) Parole Program, which allows immigrants from these nations to enter the U.S. if they meet specific guidelines and secure a sponsor, has allowed at least 530,000 individuals to enter the U.S. on parole. CBP data also reveals an additional 800,000 migrants have applied to enter under this program, many of whom are already present in the U.S.

In other words, the CHNV program has granted them temporary stay and work visas for two years with minimal vetting under traditional refugee laws.

Visit OpenBorders.news for similar stories.

Watch this clip from InfoWars featuring Alex Jones warning about how more than a million Haitian migrants are set to make their way to the United States.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.