State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) thinks the Alabama Legislature will act quickly to help President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda on immigration.
Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigration in the U.S. as soon as he takes office. Gov. Kay Ivey has committed Alabama in supporting Trump’s plans.
Gudger, who recently was elected by Alabama Senate Republicans to be the new Senate pro-tem, discussed the issue recently on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal.”
“[T]he other issue is that you start looking at the federal government, and what’s President Trump going to do when he takes his administration over, and in his transition,” Gudger said. “He keeps talking about immigration. I think that Alabama needs to do [its] part on the immigration reform. And I think we will be having some of those bills coming up pretty quick as soon as we open up session.”
Gudger emphasized that every state is now a border state because of the Biden administration’s failed policies.
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“I think we have to work with the federal government to make sure that we don’t overstep or duplicate services that they’ve already put in place,” he explained. “Our job is to make sure what is best for Alabama, and as we say, all states are border states now, because it’s been so long and so many people have crossed the border. Obviously, they’re throughout the state of Alabama. How do we protect the citizens of Alabama? How do we make sure that the right people are here and that the non violent criminals are still here?”
The lawmaker said this is not being against all immigrants, just those who have entered the country illegally.
“Obviously, we want the right people that have went through the immigration process and got their work visas or green cards to be able to stay here,” he argued. “That’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about illegal immigration. And so from that, I think you’re going to see reform for the right purposes and to make sure that we take care of the right people getting out of our state to help protect the citizens of Alabama.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
