The image of a construction worker in south Alabama went viral online after he apparently spent six hours on the roof of a building and evaded arrest by federal immigration officials.

The worker, videoed on a roof in Spanish Fort, is a heroic figure to some as local officials in south Alabama say they plan to assist in increased deportations and arrests. AL.com spoke to the worker but he did not want to comment for this story.

There is no public data on the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in the state since President Donald Trump took office in 2025, but Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch has said that his office will help ICE, “in any way we can.”

Immigration advocates say Baldwin County in particular has seen increased enforcement, typically at construction sites.

“I see a lot more going on definitely down there,” said Nathan Harris, a Birmingham-based immigration attorney, who said there’s more ICE activity in south Alabama. “I’m hearing that from the community, from our clients, and we’re not hearing that so much in Montgomery (or) Birmingham.”

Robert Rone, an immigration attorney in Mobile, said since Trump took office, he has heard about more men arrested at job sites in the area. Rone is a Trump supporter. But he said he typically hears from girlfriends or wives after an arrest, and he feels “some of the immigration stuff has gone a little overboard.”

“Their wife, or their girlfriend or baby momma or whoever is calling because they’re worried about them,” Rone said. “And they take care of the family so if they’re gone everybody suffers.”

A regional spokesman for ICE told AL.com that statewide arrest numbers and the location of arrests were not available.

FBI Mobile posted on Facebook on March 13 that 137 people had been detained since February 4 under immigration operations. These numbers involve arrests made in multiple counties including Autauga, Baldwin, Coosa, Elmore and Mobile counties.

Alabama is home to an estimated 209,000 immigrants in total, and 60,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the American Immigration Council, a pro-immigration think tank. They make up about 1.8% of Alabama’s workforce. Construction is the top job for immigrants in the state with about 12% of immigrant workers in that field.

Baldwin County Sheriff Anthony Lowery has been outspoken in his interest in tackling illegal immigration and assisting ICE’s efforts.

“We’re going to participate and actively help (ICE) and assist them in doing what they need to do,” Lowery told 1819 News in January. His office declined a request for comment from AL.com.

Law enforcement officials in some other parts of the state have been less vocal about their stance on mass deportations.

Lindsay Williams, ICE’s Media Operations Unit Chief Southeast, said the raids were likely happening in the parts of the state where the “crime” or “activity” is, but said he could not confirm where arrests had occurred.

“I think wherever the crime is, or the activity, is where the enforcement is,” he said of why the South might be a focus.

The agencies did not provide evidence of criminal activity occurring at the time of detaining individuals.

FBI Mobile said it has been assisting federal agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations,a spokesperson for the office said.

“(Our) tip line has been very active.”