Several Alabama state legislators, fresh off a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border last week, say they’re working on legislation or a possible package of anti-illegal immigration bills for the 2025 session.
While not ready to discuss specific details, several lawmakers told Alabama Daily News they want to target those who bring or profit off of immigrants from Central and South America and make it harder to be in Alabama without proper documentation.
Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, said one option is to further crackdown on human trafficking.
“There is a humanitarian issue here,” Colvin said. “Many of these immigrants are being exploited.”
Lawmakers acknowledge that immigration policy is largely a federal issue and blame the Biden administration for the current situation. But several said they’d like to make it harder to bring immigrants illegally to the state.
“Republican legislators and a Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas have adopted state law and empowered law enforcement to enforce the laws in Texas and that has greatly reduced the flow of illegals across the border in that state,” Rep. Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville, told ADN. “We met with Texas DPS agents about these policies and what might be applicable in Alabama.”
Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, agreed.
“On the state level, we need to follow Texas’ lead and make Alabama equally inhospitable to illegal migrants,” Elliott said. “We can’t fix federal immigration policy but we can make illegal migrants want to settle elsewhere. Much more than a photo op, this visit by law enforcement officers and lawmakers, will result in a package of bills that will reduce the settlement of illegal migrants in Alabama.”
Several mentioned nongovernment organizations, NGOs, involved in sponsoring immigrants.
“(People from more) than 50 countries have crossed the border in McAllen, many of those from countries that have no agreement to share criminal records with the U.S.” Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, said. “We also saw firsthand how NGOs were taking part in these movements while earning millions of dollars from the federal government. I feel we have ideas and insight to work on legislation to introduce in the next session.”
Other lawmakers on the trip were Reps. Jeana Ross, R-Guntersville, and Sens. Lance Bell, R-Pell City; Keith Kelly, Anniston; and April Weaver, R-Brierfield. Several sheriffs from around the state also attended.
The entire Marshall County delegation went on last week’s trip. It’s an area that for decades has seen a higher-than-average immigrant population, largely drawn to the poultry industry in the area. This year, it has also seen an influx of Haitian immigrants, many of them receiving federal temporary protected status through early 2026.
Alabama Daily News reported last month local schools were dealing with the language barriers among the influx of Haitian Creole-speaking students.
When she campaigned in a special election this year, Ross said education and immigration were two of her platform issues. She’s the state’s former early education secretary.
“Being in education as long as I have, I’ve seen the strain (immigration) has put on education,” Ross told Alabama Daily News on Friday.
She said a package of legislation could be put together before the 2025 session starts in February, and lawmakers want “good, solid information about how the process of mass immigration has happened, particularly so suddenly in some of our towns,” Ross said.
The multi-day border tour and program in McAllen, Texas was attended by lawmakers and officials from 20 states. Lodging and travel in Texas was paid for by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
“If we don’t get control of our borders, it will only continue to get worse,” Bell said. “Lack of leadership and horrible policies have jeopardized each and every American. The humanitarian conditions of those entering our country are below the standard of care we as citizens would treat our pets. Everyone should demand a change. This is an issue for the integrity of our country.”
Weaver said in traveling to Texas, she had to go through stringent identification and security screenings, “but a constant flood of people are allowed to walk across our border with no ID, no security screening, and full support from non-government organizations being funded by our tax dollars.”
“Our ability to protect America depends on having strong border security and an orderly immigration system, but today we have neither,” Weaver said.
State leaders including Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed, R-Jasper, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, and Attorney General Steve Marshall visited the southern border in May 2023.
In 2011, the legislature passed a massive anti-illegal immigration bill, which was called the toughest in the country. Much of it was overturned by federal courts.