Immigration Attorney Freddy Rubio kept his audience engaged

Last night, Birmingham Immigration Attorney Freddy Rubio elevated the meeting to a new level. He captivated the full house audience for an hour, discussing the challenges faced by undocumented individuals and offering practical tips for everyone to use if confronted with such situations.

A great pitch in potluck dinner was followed by information on some current and upcoming events.

Beverly Williams gave an update on the digital billboard images CalCoDems have had up and the new image that hit the billboard yesterday! Be sure to check it out on Golden Springs Road - past McDonalds on the right about a mile ~. We need donations to maintain the billboards :) I am known for telling people we get NOTHING from the state of Alabama and NOTHING from the DNC. We operate entirely out of the 'pockets' of people like you and me.

Also - we passed out flyers about the upcoming visit from former Senator Doug Jones and his beautiful wife Louise. That event will celebrate Juneteenth 2025 as well as act as the setting for a 'Community Dialogue.' Jones wants to hear concerns from the community about how the current administration's actions have impacted their lives. More info on the dinner and how to participate in a separate post.

Representing the local group 'We the People,' Carsie Evans and James Sterling talked about an upcoming rally at the square in Jacksonville to 'mock the clown that is Donald Trump & his circus'...... June 14th, 11 am til 2 pm. The rally is a part of a national movement. Attendees are asked to bring canned goods & non-perishable items to support a local food pantry.

Then Mr. Rubio took the microphone and did an exceptional job of laying out the rights and obligations for both people that police are approaching and for the police.

• One key takeaway is that  it's important for people to assert their rights, not belligerently but firmly.

• People aren't required to answer questions. They need to state that - and then say nothing more without their lawyer present.

• Police can't detain someone without probable cause of committing a crime. A person should simply ask if they are free to leave and, if told yes, to leave. 

• Police may try to intimidate people into answering questions.

• Mr. Rubio answered questions on many related  issues, such as the distinction between a search warrant and an arrest warrant, and requirements for these for police to enter a home without the person's permission.

• Another topic was recording whatever is happening. A person being approached has the right to record what's going on, and such a recording may be key evidence if police overstep their bounds. 

When it was time to end the meeting, people were still posing potential scenarios and asking questions. Thank you Mr. Rubio for sharing your time, energy and knowledge with us.

Also a big thank you to Susan Roberts for the generous and timely gifting of the artwork depicting the outreached hands of all ages, races and nationalities.

Here's some photos from the meeting: