The appearance of buses in several north Alabama cities last week prompted questions and community meetings about Haitian immigration in the state.

Last week, photographs of people entering and exiting charter buses in Albertville were shared on Facebook, with users questioning what purpose the buses served, who was on them, and where they were coming from.

Pilgrim’s Pride later issued statements say it had chartered the buses for employees to and from its Russellville plant. The company then said it would no longer use charters.

But residents of several north Alabama communities have expressed anger over their presence.

One speaker at a meeting in Albertville said Haitians “have smells to them. They’re not like us. They’re not here to be Americanized. They don’t care about schools. They’re scary, folks.”

In Athens, City Councilman Chris Seibert was confronted at a council meeting about his renting properties to Haitian workers.

At the two meetings, people expressed concerns about the presence of Haitians in schools, and whether the immigrants work and vote illegally.

“I think I understand the real root of this, and maybe you guys need to do some soul searching,” Seibert said, according to The Decatur Daily.

Here is a look at some of those claims and the facts behind them:

Are these undocumented workers coming to Alabama?

Poultry processor Pilgrim’s Pride, the employer which originally chartered the buses that began the controversy, said the workers in question are eligible to work under U.S. law.

Can immigrants vote?

At Tuesday’s community meeting in Albertville, speaker Jay Palmer said one driving force behind immigration is “the left, which wants a new voting population.” There was no mention of a bipartisan immigration reform bill that died after opposition from former Trump.

“The current (Biden) administration is looking for mass amnesty,” Palmer said. “The reason they’re doing these things is for votes.”

Only U.S. citizens can vote.

To register in the state of Alabama, someone must be a citizen, reside in Alabama and be at least 18 years old. They cannot have been convicted of a disqualifying felony, or have had their voting rights restored. They also cannot have been legally declared “mentally incompetent” by a court.

The deadline to register expires 14 days prior to an election.

Are there sanctuary cities in north Alabama?

Both Athens and Albertville city governments have released statements in recent days regarding several questions about immigrants. Neither Albertville nor Athens is a “sanctuary city”

“Neither the City of Athens, nor any of its city officials, receive any federal funding or private funding relating to housing for migrants with work permits, nor does the city participate in any federal program or private program that provides aid or housing to such workers. The City does not have any plans to do any of that,” the city’s statement reads.

Is the presence of the Haitian workers increasing crime?

Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell confirmed during their city council meeting that there has been no rise in crime since the arrival of more Haitians, The Decatur Daily reported.

“There has not been a noticeable increase in the municipal court docket,” the Athens city statement read.

“The City — and state and federal law — condemn any narrative that seeks to discriminate against people based on their race or nationality.”

How is Haitian immigration impacting schools?

According to the city of Athens, “the number of new enrollments in the school system is minimal, and there has not been a noticeable increase in the municipal court docket. According to state education figures, Athens City Schools had no migrant students in 2022-23, the last year for which records are available, and 513 students with a limited English proficiency.”

The Decatur Daily reported that at Monday’s meeting, Athens resident Amanda Schulte said she feared unvaccinated Haitian children were attending school with her children “which creates a danger to the large number of unvaccinated children in our public school system.”

A statement from Athens City Schools Superintendent Beth Patton said, “Haitian students are coming with immunizations.”

Albertville City Schools in 2022-23, the last year for which state records were available, had 311 recorded migrant students, and 1,574 students with limited English proficiency, which could be any language. The system has a total enrollment of 5,750 students. Marshall County had 177 migrant students in a population of 5,649. Of those, 724 has limited English proficiency.

What is the Haitian population of Alabama?

Currently, Alabama has 2,569 Haitian residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That makes up .05% of the state population. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, two of the top five states for Haitian immigration settlement in 2022 were neighboring states Florida, with 51%, and Georgia, with 4%.

Why are Haitians coming to the U.S.?

Haiti has seen political unrest for years, as the country has not held elections since 2016. In March, criminal organizations on the Caribbean island organized a jailbreak of more than 4,000 inmates. More than 2,500 people died there from January thru March. The unrest kept the country’s prime minister from returning from abroad. Gross National Income per capita in Haiti is $1,730, and a quarter of the island’s population lives in extreme poverty on less than $1.25 per day.

A Haitian can apply as a refugee, i.e., a person with “well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence.” However, the process to apply for refugee status can take up to two years.

Haitians, along with Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, are allowed 30,000 non-citizens each month to enter the U.S. Some can enter for up to two years “for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.