Mobile County Sheriff Birch's wife, Michelle Alfonso Burch, defends a controversial Halloween display depicting ICE agents chasing skeletons, claiming it was a personal joke against illegal immigration despite sparking outrage in the South Alabama Latino community just before Latin Fest. While the sheriff remains silent on the imagery, his office continues contracting with ICE for arrests, causing documented residents to fear harassment at the festival despite assurances targeting only criminals. Critics like Grace Recindez McCaffrey highlight the chilling effect of such rhetoric and past enforcement actions, suggesting the display reflects a broader political stance that threatens community trust and safety. [Automatically generated summary]
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Sheriff's Halloween Display Backlash00:05:56
Halloween display depicting federal ICE agents chasing skeletons in sombreros is causing quite a backlash online, not just for what it represents, but because of where it is on the lawn of the sheriff of Mobile County, Sheriff Paul Birch.
The discovery of the display comes just days before Mobile's annual Latin Fest and is sending shockwaves throughout the South Alabama Latino community.
NBC 15's Darwin Singleton is following this story for us at 9 Darwin.
The sheriff isn't talking tonight, but his wife is.
And I'll share her statement in just a moment, Andrea.
But it didn't take long for photos of the skeleton ICE agents chasing skeletons in sombreros and serapes to start spreading online.
Well, think about it.
You're a sheriff, Halloween's coming around.
Yeah, it's a joke.
And there's nothing, it's absolutely nothing wrong with that display.
If it's okay for an ICE agent to chase down someone in our country illegally, how is this illegal or how is this wrong?
Yeah.
It's a joke.
A damn good joke at that.
That display is still there at this hour.
We've already reported that the Mobile County Sheriff's Office has entered into a contract with ICE to help make arrests of undocumented residents here in Mobile County.
But people in the Latino community in Mobile tell us even documented residents fear those efforts, making some hesitant to attend this weekend's Latin Fest in downtown Mobile.
Should they be afraid?
Well, I asked Sheriff Birch that very question just last night.
Why shouldn't you be afraid if you're documented?
Yeah.
Think Irish.
You're an American citizen, regardless of you're Latino.
You're an American citizen.
Why would you be afraid of ICE?
Yeah.
They had to take people out of our country that's here illegally.
Yeah.
You got your screen card, you're documented.
You don't have nothing to worry about.
It's stupid.
They should not.
We work day in and day out with homeless period and ICE in Mobile.
I'm not aware of any operations targeting the Latin Fest.
They are targeting individuals with criminal backgrounds.
Occasionally there are collateral individuals who just happen to be there when they arrest the person they're targeting.
But I'm not aware of any operations targeting the festival or anything surrounding the festival.
Words of assurance last night from Sheriff Birch for those who might be worried about attending Latin Fest this weekend.
Collateral damage?
You better be worried if you are undocumented.
Why would you go there?
Yeah, you're an idiot.
You need to be deported.
He said, well, of course, there's going to be some collateral damage.
If you're going to hang around this individual, you're going to.
But how do those words fall today after the reveal of the display in the sheriff's yard?
And do those images affect those who still plan to take part in this multicultural celebration?
Well, moments ago, we spoke with Grace Recindez McCaffrey in Pensacola.
She's editor and publisher of the paper and website, La Costa Latina.com.
Well, the concern is always harassment and resulting possible arrest.
Like I said, that's every day.
There's the possibility that I could get stopped in the street and questioned, asked to prove my citizenship, and I don't have an ID, or in like many cases, I have an ID, but it is told.
It doesn't work like that.
Cops, ICE, unless they have probable cause to stop you for a traffic violation or you broke the law, you committed a crime.
That's the only time law enforcement or an ICE agent can ask you for your identification.
Well, not necessarily.
They passed, Supreme Court just passed.
If you got a thick Mexican accent, they can question you.
Really?
Yeah.
Just because you're a Mexican and you got a Mexican accent, they can say, hey, you don't have a Dexian accent.
You got a Mexican accent?
You're damn right, Dad.
Supreme Court gave you proper calls to ask him.
Hey, give me CID.
That's proper calls.
If you got a thick Mexican accent, well, the chance of you being a legal resident is pretty small.
I mean, if it's thick.
Yeah, if you got a Mexican accent, if you sound like you just got here, yeah, they go.
What does that sound like, Kevin?
Mexican accent.
Well, what does that sound like?
My name's Juan Valdez.
Oh, I can hear it in your voice.
Let me see if I got an accent.
My name is Jose Jose Gonzalez.
I would like to.
My English is not good.
Oh, Barritos and Peter.
See, senor.
See?
Yeah, my English is hurting them.
Yeah, if it's like that.
Yeah, that's a red flag.
Yeah.
Yo, English is broken like that.
You didn't go to high school either.
You went to high school in Mexico.
Yeah, okay.
I see what you're saying.
I didn't know that about the Supreme Court.
Yeah, yeah.
All right.
We're told that it's false.
We've had folks that have produced a real ID and still arrested.
And they're coming in.
The whole immigration system and trying to prove their citizenship.
That's a nightmare.
A short time ago, we were...
No, it's very simple.
They run you, they know if you're an American citizen or not.
Like when the cops pull me over, they know if I got a gun permit or not.
They already know that.
I mean, when I got my gun permit, my CCW.
When they pulled me over, they said, where's your gun at?
Yeah.
It's right on my hip.
They already pulled you over.
Like, hey, man, doesn't show here that you have papers to be here.
Received a statement.
It's a Halloween night display, not from the sheriff, but his wife, Michelle Alfonso Burch.
Wife Defends Controversial Setup00:02:05
And it reads this: Every year, I make tongue-in-cheek Halloween decorations with a topical theme at my home.
I like decorating for Halloween and other holidays and rotate these decorations periodically.
My husband has nothing to do with these other than mowing the grass around them.
She goes on to say, I made this one.
She's technically playing both of my Cuban background and new needed changes in federal immigration enforcement.
My parents were legal immigrants, and I have plenty of immigrants throughout my family.
I'll make a new one shortly.
We have no shortage of topics to cover.
Well, it's white's Cuban.
I was thinking she was going to be like a white redneck.
Dog, these Cubans, man, they are like, I think, no, they look white.
Yeah, but they're Cubans.
They are like hardcore Republicans.
Yeah.
Yeah, but there's nothing wrong with this at all.
No, it's not an illegal body.
It's a prank.
It's a joke.
Yeah, just in her having that Cuban answer.
I mean, Lineage from Cuba, she hates communism.
She's pro-Republican.
She came here legally and she hates those people jumping in line in front of people doing it the right way.
So she put that up.
Yeah.
And if, man, man, if she sounds like a damn good woman, because I'm thinking that damn sheriff put them up.
That's what I thought did it.
And the wife is taking a hit for it.
That's a damn good woman.
That's a damn good woman.
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This is a good, strong, Republican-American family.
Yeah, this isn't.
I don't think you have to be Republican.
You just have to be moderate.
You just have to have common sense.
United States of America is for American citizens and legal residents.