KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Demonstrators spent last evening picketing Kalamazoo City Hall, calling on the city to take a stand against Trump administration immigration policies and ICE detentions.
There have been few reports of such detentions locally so far, but the next federal budget includes a huge increase for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff, and Michigan is a border state.
Several protestors spoke at the city commission meeting.
City commissioners Don Cooney and Stephanie Hoffman also called on the city to take a stand.
But most local governments have not, because the communities that have been vocal, the so-called sanctuary cities have been targeted for cuts in federal spending, seen more ICE agents, and even slapped with lawsuits from the Trump administration.
Calhoun County has contracted with federal enforcement officials to hold federal detainees in their jail for a fee, but that predates the Trump administration.
Kalamazoo County board chair Jen Strebs, who has been critical of the Trump administration, told us the law is the law on immigration, but it isn’t the job of local government or the police to enforce it, or to block federal enforcement.
It’s been Kalamazoo Public Safety policy for years to prohibit officers from asking residents if they are undocumented, or arresting anyone may be, unless they commit a state or city violation.
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