BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained dozens of immigrants during routine check-ins in Birmingham and Gadsden this week, prompting alarm among local advocacy groups and immigrant families.
Community organizations and legal advocates say that individuals who had previously been allowed to remain free pending further hearings were unexpectedly taken into custody. The detentions come as Alabama lawmakers recently passed a bill to criminalize transporting individuals without legal immigration status across state lines, a move critics say could further marginalize immigrant communities.
The sudden enforcement action has heightened fears within Alabama’s immigrant community, which has long faced heightened scrutiny under new state laws and ongoing cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
No official statement has been released by ICE regarding the reasons for the detentions or the number of individuals affected, but local sources report that dozens were detained. Advocacy groups are urging affected families to seek legal counsel and warning that such actions could undermine trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.