Thread: AL-Albertville Mayor Lyons hopes for immigration help

Lyons hopes for immigration help

By Jonathan Stinson
The Reporter

Published July 16, 2009

After Albertville Mayor Lindsey Lyons’ recent trip to Washington D.C., the city could be weeks away from implementing a 287(g) program or getting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office (ICE), or both.

The 287(g) program is a program which trains law enforcement officers to be able to handle immigration issues.

Lyons said Congressman Robert Aderholt, Sen. Jeff Sessions, and Sen. Richard Shelby all support what the mayor is trying to do.

In addition to support from D.C., he also had a letter signed by local legislators Sen. Hinton Mitchem, Rep. Frank McDaniel, Rep. Jeff McLaughlin, the mayors of Boaz, Guntersville, and Arab, along with both Marshall County district and circuit judges, Albertville Police Chief Benny Womack, and Marshall County District Attorney Steve Marshall.

All pledged their support for Lyons in “his desire to confront these issues with workable, aggressive solutions with a sense of urgency.â€

[quote]“If you are a drug dealer, if you are in a gang, if you are a murderer, or if you are doing vehicular homicide, things like those big felonies, you need to be out. I don’t want you here. What we’ve seen in a lot of places that have signed up for 287(g) is people being stopped for minor traffic offenses.â€