An Alabama sheriff is under fire after a Halloween display depicting an ICE raid popped up on his front lawn — but his Cuban wife insists the “tongue-in-cheek” decorations were entirely her idea.
The spooky setup outside Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch’s home shows three skeletons in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement shirts chasing two skeletons decked out in sombreros and Mexican serapes ponchos as they scramble over a fence, according to photos shared on social media.
The display sparked outrage on social media after a neighbor shared a photo of the Republican elected official’s gated home, blasting him for “parading racism in his front yard.”
“It’s hard to put into words how disappointing it is to see our elected sheriff use his own front yard to mock and dehumanize a group of people,” neighbor Whitney Newman posted on Facebook Tuesday morning.
“I don’t think it’s cute or funny. And coming from a law enforcement official makes it exponentially worse,” she continued, citing a quote from Burch on the law enforcement agency’s Facebook page assuring all residents “deserve to live in a safe community, without fear.”
“This crosses a line from tasteless joke into public statement about who deserves dignity. I just wish our sheriff would practice what he preaches instead of parading racism in his front yard. We deserve better from our leaders.”
The ICE-themed decorations come as federal agents nationwide — specifically in Oregon and Illinois — clash violently with anti-ICE protesters rallying against President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants.
The sheriff’s office reportedly declined to comment on Burch’s seasonal decor, instead directing reporters to a statement from his wife, Michelle, who took full credit for the controversial display.
“Every year, I make tongue-in-cheek Halloween decorations with a topical theme at my home,” Michelle said in the statement, obtained by Fox10 News.
“I like decorating for Halloween and other holidays and rotate these decorations periodically. My husband has nothing to do with these, other than mowing the grass around them. I made this one, playing both on my Cuban background and new, needed changes in federal immigration enforcement.”
She noted that her parents were legal immigrants and promised to erect a new Halloween display.
“I’ll make a new one shortly — we have no shortage of topics to cover.”
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