Fairhope Residents Express Concern, Frustration Over Potential Haitian Refugee Influx

The Fairhope City Council heard from concerned citizens Monday night following what Mayor Sherry Sullivan called “rumors” about a possible influx of immigrants.

Citizens came out in droves after the release of a letter signed by Councilman Corey Martin and two state representatives dated “September 12, 2024” welcoming refugees and information that around 1,000 Haitian migrants could be resettled in Baldwin or Mobile Counties. So many people came to the meeting that chairs were placed in the lobby.

The citizens said they have seen what’s happened in other parts of Alabama and the nation and want the city to be prepared.

Abby Unrath, of Magnolia Springs, told the emotional story of the deaths of her mother-in-law and another woman, who were both killed in a crash caused by a Haitian immigrant in Michigan.

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Mayor Sherry Sullivan and council members addressed the crowd. Sullivan said the city has not received any notification of the resettlement of a large number of migrants in Fairhope, and she does not expect that to happen.

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State Sen. Jennifer Fidler (R-Silverhill) said she has been in talks with other local, state and federal officials and the people of Baldwin County.

“As you know, we have a large influx of non-English speaking folks in our more rural schools, not necessarily Fairhope, but Silverhill has 26% of their class is non-English speaking,” she said. “There’s an issue with teaching English to those students. Summerdale’s 30% and in Baldwin County, we have upwards of 40% of our students who speak non-English or are trying to learn English.”

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Rebecca Watson, a Fairhope resident and chair for the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, said she has already experienced firsthand what federal policy has done to Baldwin County. Watson was involved in a crash with an illegal immigrant in Baldwin County. She said the driver had no driver’s license or insurance and was not arrested. Watson and her children were hurt and she claimed she had to pay for damages out-of-pocket.

Watson said she listened to what Martin said, and she felt he was “gaslighting.” The crowd cheered as Watson continued. She said residents showed up in droves because of the letter he signed.

Watson highlighted a part of the letter that stated, “We continually hear from our constituents that they believe in and support refugee resettlement. From greeting refugee families at the airport to assisting with English language classes or navigating bus lines, our communities stand for welcome.”

“I don’t remember you asking anybody that’s here how they felt about that, and you signed a letter on behalf of your position representing our city, and that is a huge problem for me,” Watson told Martin. “If you’re going to sign a letter like that and you represent our city, then you need to ask the constituents how they feel about it.”

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{snip} However, immigration whistleblower Jay Palmer did tell 1819 News there were plans to send around 1,000 Haitian migrants to Baldwin and/or Mobile Counties in the coming weeks. Palmer, who works with Haitian pastors, said the pastors were alerted to the influx by a non-governmental organization which assists migrants.

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