Illegal immigration — enforcement and the reaction to enforcement — continues to be the big topic this week.

Thanks for reading,

Ike

The immigration front

The crackdown on illegal immigration is proving to have more widespread immediate impact in Alabama than many other of President Trump’s Day 1 drop of executive orders and announcements, as the new administration two-steps around its initial effort to freeze federal spending.

Just to list off a few of Wednesday’s updates on the immigration front:

• We mentioned the other day that the Mobile County Sheriff made it clear his office was prepared to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Yesterday, the Sheriff’s Office there said 13 people who were arrested before Trump took office were being held in jail on detainers from ICE. They didn’t release the official charges.
• Also in Mobile County, a public-school worker is on administrative leave after e-mailing co-workers to tell them how to shield students from ICE agents. In the email, the employee said families could keep their kids at home if they’re worried about raids and asked to be texted if agents show up. A Mobile County assistant superintendent issued a statement to retract the email and say the school system will comply with federal mandates.
• Meanwhile, statewide school officials said they haven’t heard any reports of ICE agents being in schools. There has been reaction and concern over Trump’s reversal of the policy to limit arrests at places such as schools and hospitals. State Superintendent Eric Mackey’s message to school leaders is to continue with normal activities and maintain attendance policies.
• In Albertville a few dozen protesters lined downtown streets to protest the crackdown. You may recall that over the summer Albertville was one of the cities where concerns sprang up over Haitian immigrants being bussed in. Of course, they turned out to be in the country legally through a federal worker program. The current ICE crackdown is over illegal immigration, and social-media videos of Wednesday’s demonstration featured numerous national flags, mostly Mexican. It was organized by Reclaiming Our Time, a Marshall County group that advocates for immigrants and calls for Confederate monuments in Alabama to be removed.
• And for his first legislation approval for this term, the president signed the Laken Riley Act, which requires immigration authorities to detain undocumented migrants that commit theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting offenses. Named after the University of Georgia student who was killed by an undocumented migrant who had multiple run-ins with the law, the Laken Riley Act was sponsored by Alabama U.S. Sen. Katie Britt. Opponents worry the bill will lead to large roundups of people for the smaller crimes — and that it is really a tool for mass deportation.

Missile defense? On it …

Another Trump directive was to put in place a missile-defense system that he called an “Iron Dome for America” — a reference to Israel’s popular defense system.

It was enough to get some buzz started in Huntsville.

AL.com’s John R. Roby reports that RTX Corporation CEO Christopher Calio called it “something right in our wheelhouse.”

RTX is the company that controls Raytheon, which has operations in the Rocket City.

Trump called on the Pentagon to develop guidelines for “Defense against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks from peer, near-peer, and rogue adversaries.”

Raytheon makes missiles for Iron Dome at a site in Arkansas, and it’s been expanding a missile-integration facility at Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal.

Also in Huntsville, Dynetics does contract work on Enduring Shield, a ground-based system that defends against cruise missiles and uncrewed aircraft. Lockheed Martin has the prime contract for the Next-Generation Interceptor, and Aerojet Rocketdyne will make the propulsion systems.

This is not a totally new direction for the U.S. defense industry, but there is a more serious look toward space with calls for satellite-based sensor systems and space-based interceptors.

Brick-and-mortar LEGO store

Good news for LEGO enthusiasts: Alabama is getting a LEGO store back, but this time in another location, reports AL.com’s Amber Sutton.

Previously, LEGO had a store in the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, but it closed during the pandemic-plagued 2020.

The new one will be in the former White House Black Market at Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville. It’s expected to have Pick & Build and Build Your Own Minifigure features and more experiences. And of course, they’ll have specialty sets you can buy.

Y’all enjoy. Just don’t run through that place barefooted.

By the Numbers

70%

That’s the estimated portion of Americans who are opposed to President’s Trump’s efforts to rename the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America,” according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey. Around 25% of respondents supported the name change, and the rest said they were unsure.

More Alabama News

Born on This Date

In 1780, the third governor of Alabama, Israel Pickens.

In 1941, sci fi author and astrophysicist Gregory Benford of Mobile.

In 1949, musician, singer and founding member of the Commodores William King of Birmingham.

In 1958, comedian and actress Brett Butler of Montgomery.

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