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5h ago

Mobile County Sheriff Criticized Over ICE-Themed Halloween Display at His Home

The episode renews scrutiny of local immigration enforcement after a recent video showed a deputy striking a man.

Halloween decorations in the front of Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch's private home in Alabama.
Mobile Co. sheriff faces backlash over controversial Halloween decor at his home (WPMI)
Mobile Co. sheriff faces backlash over controversial Halloween decor at his home (WPMI)
Mobile Co. sheriff faces backlash over controversial Halloween decor at his home (WPMI)

Overview

  • Photos show three skeletons in ICE shirts chasing two skeletons in sombreros and ponchos outside Sheriff Paul Burch’s residence.
  • Neighbor Whitney Newman posted the images to Facebook on Tuesday, calling the display offensive and inappropriate for an elected law enforcement official.
  • The sheriff’s office declined comment and directed inquiries to a statement from Burch’s wife, Michelle, who said she alone created the decorations.
  • Michelle Burch described the display as tongue-in-cheek and said it drew on her Cuban background and her annual practice of topical Halloween themes.
  • The backlash comes days after video surfaced of a Mobile County deputy striking Henry Castilo during an immigration operation, which Sheriff Burch defended as a response to resistance, as broader concerns continue over the county’s 287(g) partnership with ICE.