Gulf Shores dealing with questions about accountability after dozens of illegal immigrants arrested working at construction site of new High School

July 2, 2025 - GULF SHORES, AL - The City of Gulf Shores released a statement claiming that it "Supports the efforts of Homeland Security to enforce federal immigration laws and keep our community safe."

The Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI, in coordination with local law enforcement, detained 37 individuals during a raid of the construction site for the new Gulf Shores High School. The operation was described as a federal immigration inspection, and those arrested were transported to a federal facility for processing.

The City of Gulf Shores and Gulf Shores City Schools issued a joint statement distancing themselves from the investigation and claiming that the construction site is under the control of a private general contractor.

The City said that, "The action taken by the Homeland Security Task Force last week is part of an open investigation into private businesses under contract with the City. The City is neither a target nor involved in this investigation. Therefore, we have no access to any documents or awareness of any of the investigation's facts beyond what is publicly reported."

The City claimed that, "The City's contract with the general contractor overseeing the Gulf Shores High School construction project stipulates that the contractor must utilize the federal E-Verify program to verify employee eligibility to work in the United States. This contract language is standard on public construction projects in Alabama and is also used in all City of Gulf Shores construction contracts. The Department of Homeland Security then enforces compliance with the E-Verify program."

The general contractor for the new Gulf Shores High School is Rabren General Contractors, based in Auburn, Alabama. They've been overseeing the project since construction began in April 2024, with completion expected in 2026.

As of now, Rabren General Contractors has still not been fired by the City of Gulf Shores. Despite the recent immigration enforcement raid Rabren remains the general contractor on the project.

Company president Matt Rabren publicly acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, saying, "We're sorry, we're embarrassed, and we will get it cleaned up." He emphasized their commitment to cooperating with authorities and improving oversight. The city has not issued any statements indicating a termination of the contract."

The city claims that the contract states that Rabren is supposed to use e-verify when it hires workers; but clearly this was not done. What is not clear is why city inspectors did not check this when they were on site. It is also not clear why Rabren has not been fired if they are in breach of the contract.

The City said in their statement that, "The City hired renowned architectural and engineering firms to design the new high school. The architectural firm also monitors the project for compliance with the plans."

The architectural design of the new Gulf Shores High School is a collaboration between DLR Group and Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC). DLR Group served as the lead design architect, while GMC provided architectural, interior design, and engineering services including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, theatrical, AV, and acoustical engineering.

"The City hired a respected third-party engineering firm to manage the project, ensuring that the materials and inspections are conducted according to specifications. This third-party engineering firm has a continuous presence on the construction site while the site is under the control of the general contractor."

The City of Gulf Shores has not publicly disclosed the name of the third-party engineering firm.

Again as of press time, Rabren has not been sanctioned by the city of Gulf Shores for misconduct. Neither has GMC , the DLR Group, or the third-party engineering firm.

The City of Gulf Shores split off and created its own school system on June 1, 2019 and has little experience in building schools or managing construction projects of this size and complexity.

The new Gulf Shores High School is projected to cost $137.8 million, following a recent change order approved in June 2024. Originally, the City of Gulf Shores awarded a $131 million contract to Rabren General Contractors in February 2024. The additional $6.8 million covers the construction of a covered practice pavilion with synthetic turf, designed to support year-round training for all 23 sports offered at the school Over $125 million of this is being paid for by the City of Gulf Shores.

Gulf Shores residents have questioned if someone at the City knew that Rabren was using illegals.

If you have any questions or comments send them to Brandon Moseley at brandonmreporter@gmail.com