Sessions' immigration forum draws overflow crowd

By Kerry Yencer
Times Correspondent
Published: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 6:14 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 6:15 p.m.

ALBERTVILLE, AL — An immigration forum inside the City Hall chambers here this afternoon drew an overflow crowd to hear two-term U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions.

Sessions, R-Ala., a leading advocate for improving border security and restoring lawfulness to the immigration system, shared his thoughts on steps the United States should take to secure its borders, reduce illegal immigration and create an immigration system that serves the long-term national interest.

The crowd included politicians and public safety officials from Marshall County, including state Sen. Hinton Mitchem, D-Ala., and state Reps. Frank McDaniel, D-Albertville, and Jeff McLaughlin, D-Guntersville. Most of the 125 to 150 in attendance were white senior citizens, including some who vented their frustrations at the growing immigration problem in Marshall County.

Sessions addressed the “frustration because of us in Washington. We haven’t made the system work,â€