Hodgetwins - Controversial ICE Halloween Display at Sheriff’s Home Sparks Outrage
Aired: 2025-10-09
Duration: 08:04


=== Sheriff's Halloween Display Backlash (05:56) ===

[00:00:02]  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.
[00:00:17]  The discovery of the display comes just days before Mobile's annual Latin Fest and is sending shockwaves throughout the South Alabama Latino community.
[00:00:25]  NBC 15's Darwin Singleton is following this story for us at 9 Darwin.
[00:00:28]  The sheriff isn't talking tonight, but his wife is.
[00:00:31]  And I'll share her statement in just a moment, Andrea.
[00:00:34]  But it didn't take long for photos of the skeleton ICE agents chasing skeletons in sombreros and serapes to start spreading online.
[00:00:43]  Well, think about it.
[00:00:44]  You're a sheriff, Halloween's coming around.
[00:00:46]  Yeah, it's a joke.
[00:00:49]  And there's nothing, it's absolutely nothing wrong with that display.
[00:00:53]  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?
[00:01:00]  Yeah.
[00:01:00]  It's a joke.
[00:01:02]  A damn good joke at that.
[00:01:04]  That display is still there at this hour.
[00:01:06]  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.
[00:01:14]  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.
[00:01:24]  Should they be afraid?
[00:01:25]  Well, I asked Sheriff Birch that very question just last night.
[00:01:29]  Why shouldn't you be afraid if you're documented?
[00:01:31]  Yeah.
[00:01:32]  Think Irish.
[00:01:33]  You're an American citizen, regardless of you're Latino.
[00:01:38]  You're an American citizen.
[00:01:39]  Why would you be afraid of ICE?
[00:01:40]  Yeah.
[00:01:40]  They had to take people out of our country that's here illegally.
[00:01:43]  Yeah.
[00:01:43]  You got your screen card, you're documented.
[00:01:44]  You don't have nothing to worry about.
[00:01:46]  It's stupid.
[00:01:47]  They should not.
[00:01:48]  We work day in and day out with homeless period and ICE in Mobile.
[00:01:55]  I'm not aware of any operations targeting the Latin Fest.
[00:02:00]  They are targeting individuals with criminal backgrounds.
[00:02:04]  Occasionally there are collateral individuals who just happen to be there when they arrest the person they're targeting.
[00:02:13]  But I'm not aware of any operations targeting the festival or anything surrounding the festival.
[00:02:18]  Words of assurance last night from Sheriff Birch for those who might be worried about attending Latin Fest this weekend.
[00:02:24]  Collateral damage?
[00:02:25]  You better be worried if you are undocumented.
[00:02:27]  Why would you go there?
[00:02:28]  Yeah, you're an idiot.
[00:02:29]  You need to be deported.
[00:02:31]  He said, well, of course, there's going to be some collateral damage.
[00:02:34]  If you're going to hang around this individual, you're going to.
[00:02:37]  But how do those words fall today after the reveal of the display in the sheriff's yard?
[00:02:41]  And do those images affect those who still plan to take part in this multicultural celebration?
[00:02:46]  Well, moments ago, we spoke with Grace Recindez McCaffrey in Pensacola.
[00:02:51]  She's editor and publisher of the paper and website, La Costa Latina.com.
[00:02:58]  Well, the concern is always harassment and resulting possible arrest.
[00:03:06]  Like I said, that's every day.
[00:03:08]  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.
[00:03:22]  It doesn't work like that.
[00:03:24]  Cops, ICE, unless they have probable cause to stop you for a traffic violation or you broke the law, you committed a crime.
[00:03:33]  That's the only time law enforcement or an ICE agent can ask you for your identification.
[00:03:39]  Well, not necessarily.
[00:03:40]  They passed, Supreme Court just passed.
[00:03:42]  If you got a thick Mexican accent, they can question you.
[00:03:47]  Really?
[00:03:47]  Yeah.
[00:03:48]  Just because you're a Mexican and you got a Mexican accent, they can say, hey, you don't have a Dexian accent.
[00:03:54]  You got a Mexican accent?
[00:03:56]  You're damn right, Dad.
[00:03:58]  Supreme Court gave you proper calls to ask him.
[00:03:59]  Hey, give me CID.
[00:04:01]  That's proper calls.
[00:04:01]  If you got a thick Mexican accent, well, the chance of you being a legal resident is pretty small.
[00:04:12]  I mean, if it's thick.
[00:04:15]  Yeah, if you got a Mexican accent, if you sound like you just got here, yeah, they go.
[00:04:18]  What does that sound like, Kevin?
[00:04:20]  Mexican accent.
[00:04:22]  Well, what does that sound like?
[00:04:24]  My name's Juan Valdez.
[00:04:25]  Oh, I can hear it in your voice.
[00:04:28]  Let me see if I got an accent.
[00:04:30]  My name is Jose Jose Gonzalez.
[00:04:34]  I would like to.
[00:04:36]  My English is not good.
[00:04:39]  Oh, Barritos and Peter.
[00:04:43]  See, senor.
[00:04:44]  See?
[00:04:45]  Yeah, my English is hurting them.
[00:04:51]  Yeah, if it's like that.
[00:04:52]  Yeah, that's a red flag.
[00:04:54]  Yeah.
[00:04:54]  Yo, English is broken like that.
[00:04:56]  You didn't go to high school either.
[00:05:00]  You went to high school in Mexico.
[00:05:02]  Yeah, okay.
[00:05:03]  I see what you're saying.
[00:05:04]  I didn't know that about the Supreme Court.
[00:05:06]  Yeah, yeah.
[00:05:07]  All right.
[00:05:08]  We're told that it's false.
[00:05:11]  We've had folks that have produced a real ID and still arrested.
[00:05:17]  And they're coming in.
[00:05:20]  The whole immigration system and trying to prove their citizenship.
[00:05:27]  That's a nightmare.
[00:05:29]  A short time ago, we were...
[00:05:30]  No, it's very simple.
[00:05:32]  They run you, they know if you're an American citizen or not.
[00:05:34]  Like when the cops pull me over, they know if I got a gun permit or not.
[00:05:38]  They already know that.
[00:05:39]  I mean, when I got my gun permit, my CCW.
[00:05:41]  When they pulled me over, they said, where's your gun at?
[00:05:44]  Yeah.
[00:05:45]  It's right on my hip.
[00:05:47]  They already pulled you over.
[00:05:48]  Like, hey, man, doesn't show here that you have papers to be here.
[00:05:53]  Received a statement.
[00:05:54]  It's a Halloween night display, not from the sheriff, but his wife, Michelle Alfonso Burch.

=== Wife Defends Controversial Setup (02:05) ===

[00:05:59]  And it reads this: Every year, I make tongue-in-cheek Halloween decorations with a topical theme at my home.
[00:06:04]  I like decorating for Halloween and other holidays and rotate these decorations periodically.
[00:06:09]  My husband has nothing to do with these other than mowing the grass around them.
[00:06:13]  She goes on to say, I made this one.
[00:06:15]  She's technically playing both of my Cuban background and new needed changes in federal immigration enforcement.
[00:06:21]  My parents were legal immigrants, and I have plenty of immigrants throughout my family.
[00:06:24]  I'll make a new one shortly.
[00:06:26]  We have no shortage of topics to cover.
[00:06:29]  Well, it's white's Cuban.
[00:06:32]  I was thinking she was going to be like a white redneck.
[00:06:35]  Dog, these Cubans, man, they are like, I think, no, they look white.
[00:06:39]  Yeah, but they're Cubans.
[00:06:41]  They are like hardcore Republicans.
[00:06:45]  Yeah.
[00:06:47]  Yeah, but there's nothing wrong with this at all.
[00:06:50]  No, it's not an illegal body.
[00:06:51]  It's a prank.
[00:06:52]  It's a joke.
[00:06:53]  Yeah, just in her having that Cuban answer.
[00:06:57]  I mean, Lineage from Cuba, she hates communism.
[00:07:00]  She's pro-Republican.
[00:07:02]  She came here legally and she hates those people jumping in line in front of people doing it the right way.
[00:07:07]  So she put that up.
[00:07:08]  Yeah.
[00:07:09]  And if, man, man, if she sounds like a damn good woman, because I'm thinking that damn sheriff put them up.
[00:07:17]  That's what I thought did it.
[00:07:19]  And the wife is taking a hit for it.
[00:07:22]  That's a damn good woman.
[00:07:23]  That's a damn good woman.
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[00:07:45]  This is a good, strong, Republican-American family.
[00:07:48]  Yeah, this isn't.
[00:07:49]  I don't think you have to be Republican.
[00:07:50]  You just have to be moderate.
[00:07:51]  You just have to have common sense.
[00:07:54]  United States of America is for American citizens and legal residents.
[00:07:58]  If you hear illegally, you need to go.
[00:08:01]  Everybody should agree with that.
[00:08:03]  Yeah.
[00:08:04]  Yeah.