Six individuals were detained in south Alabama Tuesday morning for allegedly being in the country illegally.
According to the FBI in Mobile, the individuals were arrested in Atmore in a joint operation between the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force and Atmore police.
Peter Still, FBI Mobile’s Supervisory Special Agent, told AL.com the agency often receives information from a variety of sources that allow them to be at a “certain place at a certain time” to conduct arrests.
“A lot of times we get tips from the public, other law enforcement and just general surveillance and other investigative techniques, so they’re always using a combination of those,” Still said.
Still said at least one of those individuals detained allegedly had a violent criminal history that included kidnapping and homicide.
Another person, according to Still, had previously attempted to re-enter the country unlawfully 11 times.
Still also was not aware of whether the individuals arrested had jobs or were employed.
FBI Mobile, the HSTF Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have conducted numerous raids at construction sites primarily in Baldwin County during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The agencies have also arrested many undocumented immigrants during traffic stops, which the FBI Mobile has said is initiated because of “probable cause.”
But immigration advocates in the state and nationwide contend ICE and other agencies are racially profiling specifically Latino people to meet the demands of the Trump administration’s push to arrest as many undocumented people as possible.
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