If you didn't listen to this past weekend's podcast episode, we had AL.com Capitol reporter Mike Cason on to wrap up the 2026 Alabama Legislative Session. He updated us on a couple issues that had changed in the latter stages of the session and talked about how this session did not go as billed. That dropped Sunday, so check it out and put a period on the session.

Otherwise, today's report follows.

Ike Morgan

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Immigration enforcement

An elevated level of immigration enforcement in Alabama continued into early 2026, reports AL.com's Sarah Whites-Koditschek.

The Deportation Data Project released updated data showing that, through March 10, federal agents had arrested 1,795 immigrants in Alabama who were allegedly in the U.S. illegally.

To get the totals, the Deportation Data Project uses information obtained from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through requests and lawsuits.

Roughly half the arrests were described by ICE as targeted and the rest collateral. A little over half -- 938 -- had either a criminal conviction or outstanding criminal charges against them. Of those arrested, 1.9% had been charged with or convicted of homicide, 2.2% sexual assault and 3.7% weapons offenses.

A look at the demographics shows that 87% of the suspects are male. Almost all have been born since 1980. The youngest immigrant arrested was 8 years old.

As you might expect, the highest number of arrested immigrants -- 690 -- call Mexico their country of origin. After that, the top nations are from Central or northern South America: Guatemala with 540, Honduras with 224, Venezuela with 67 and El Salvador 54.

In February, Alabama led all states in the percentage of detained immigrants who were removed from the country. So far in 2026, 520 left voluntarily, 367 were removed and 870 still had active cases.

Picture That

Fans await the Alabama football players' "Walk of Champions" outside Bryant-Denny Stadium during A-Day festivities on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. (Photo by AL.com's Will McLelland)

The costs of being a driver

Our list of the day explores how much we pay to own a vehicle compared to other states.

AL.com's William Thornton reports that Insurance.com did a study where it used not just your car payment but your sales tax, insurance, gas prices by average miles driven by our vehicles' miles per gallon, and repair costs associated with road conditions.

So it sounded like it went pretty deep.

The result was that Louisiana is the most expensive place to be a car owner, with average costs coming to $39,417 over five years. The least expensive was New Hampshire at only $21,917.

Alabama was near the middle of the pack. As a matter of fact, we pay about $1,400 more over five years than the average American does.

The average five-year cost for Alabamians is $30,736. A good portion of that is going into an average sales tax of 9.46%. Over five years we spend an average of $2,116 for insurance, $1,358 for gas, $1,588 for repairs and another $517 for road condition-related repairs.

By the Numbers

501

That's how many Southeastern Conference games Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy has won after a weekend sweep of Auburn.

Fire at historic site

A fire broke out Friday night at the old Searcy Hospital at historic Mount Vernon Arsenal, reports AL.com's William Thornton.

According to Citronelle Fire & Rescue, there were no injuries. But the fire spread to the tower arsenal and two other buildings.

Fighting the fire was a big effort. At least 25 agencies responded and 40 fire apparatus and 80 firefighters took part. Crews stayed on the Mobile County scene for around six hours.

The Mount Vernon Arsenal was founded in 1828 and has more than 30 historic buildings on site. It's been a U.S. Army post, a Confederate base, a prison for Apache prisoners of war (including Geronimo) and the Mount Vernon Asylum for the Colored Insane.

Dr. Walter Reed himself was there during the Apache POW years before he did his work on yellow fever.

The Mount Vernon Historical Society released a statement saying it remains committed to the preservation of the site and asks the public to stay away from the property for the time being.

Authorities do not know what started the fire.

More state and national politics

Born on This Date

In 1913, silver-medal-winning Olympic high jumper Dave Albritton of Danville.

In 1927, boxing trainer George Washington of Birmingham.

Alabama News Quiz answers/results

This fall Alabama voters are expected to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would:

prohibit anyone not registered with a party affiliation from voting in a primary election. 27%

require public schools to begin each day with the Pledge of Allegiance and allow student-led prayers. (CORRECT) 66%

legalize a state lottery. 4%

remove the requirement that a candidate for governor live in the state for the seven years leading up to the election. 2%

This month, the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham plans to commemorate the anniversary of this military event that cost the lives of four Alabamians.

Bay of Pigs Invasion 85%

Battle of Chapultepec 2%

Battle of Ia Drang Valley 3%

Invasion of Grenada 10%

Ed Buckbee, who died earlier this month, was the first director of what?

Alabama High School Activities Association 7%

Scouting America Greater Alabama Council 5%

U.S. Space & Rocket Center 86%

Employees’ Retirement Board of Control 2%

Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law that creates what cabinet-level position?

Secretary of the Interior 8%

Secretary of Meteorology 3%

Secretary of Energy 86%

Secretary of Name, Image and Likeness 4%

Alabama's state insect is the monarch butterfly. What do scientists mostly blame for the monarch's declining numbers?

The loss of milkweed to herbicides 77%

Deforestation 11%

Global warming 11%

Children with butterfly nets 0%

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