ICE denies targeting schools as Michigan lawmakers eye restrictions

Federal immigration officials say they are not targeting schools, dispute reports from Ypsilanti
Washtenaw Sheriff says ICE will communicate if that changes
In tense debate, Michigan lawmakers consider proposal to restrict ICE activities at schools and other ‘sensitive locations’

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not targeting Michigan schools or bus stops and no children were present during arrests this week in Ypsilanti, the agency said Thursday, disputing local reports.

The statement followed the Tuesday arrest of four people that prompted complaints from Ypsilanti-area officials and intense debate Thursday at the Michigan Capitol, where Democrats are pushing legislation that aims to bar immigration enforcement near schools.

Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer had said the agency “received multiple reports from community members that ICE detained a mother in front of her child in the Ypsilanti area, along with other residents” near a bus stop.

But ICE disputed those reports in a statement provided to Bridge.

“ICE does NOT target schools for enforcement actions or bus stop locations. To be clear, NO children were present during these arrests,” the agency said in an unattributed statement.

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As for the Tuesday arrests, “ICE officers were conducting targeted operations seeking to apprehend illegal aliens with final orders of removal from the United States,” the agency said. “During the intelligence-based operation, ICE officers observed two vehicles leave the target’s residence and initiated a vehicle stop.”

Dyer said Thursday that ICE told her much the same: It does not plan to conduct operations near schools or bus stops and has “agreed to communicate if that ever changes for Washtenaw County.”

In a Thursday afternoon interview with Bridge Michigan, Dyer said she was unable to confirm whether or not there were children present for the arrests.

But she said she spoke with ICE earlier in the day, and while immigration authorities operated “near some sensitive locations,” it “sounds like they did not intentionally do any enforcement near school grounds.”

Democrats eye ICE restrictions

The new developments came as Michigan lawmakers Thursday debated potential ICE restrictions in the Democratic-led state Senate, including a bill that seeks to prevent immigration enforcement at schools.

The legislative hearing was combative from the start, with verbal sparring between the Democratic chair and the lone Republican in attendance, state Sen. Jim Runestad, who almost immediately blasted it as a “kangaroo court” proceeding.

Many supporters in attendance, however, argued it is important to keep ICE out of schools, hospitals and other “sensitive locations” because the presence could deter people from dropping off kids or making medical appointments for fear of deportation.

“If you are entering a school to detain an individual, you are likely taking a child or an educator,” said state Rep. Mai Xiong, a Warren Democrat who sponsored similar legislation in the House.

After arrests in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer said ICE told her it was not targeting schools or bus stops. (Isabel Lohman/Bridge Michigan)

The Trump administration in January revoked a “sensitive locations” memo which, since 2011, had prevented ICE enforcement actions near schools, including parking lots and lobbies.

But Runestad, a White Lake conservative who also chairs the Michigan Republican Party, argued initial reports about the Ypsilanti arrests were “all inaccurate” and amounted to an “emotional … pack of lies.”

He also argued Democrats did not allow him to rebut claims about ICE detention and enforcement, accusing them of “censorship” that could jeopardize the personal safety of ICE agents.

Unmasking ICE?

The legislative debate unfolded amid ongoing national tensions over ICE enforcement, including aggressive tactics in Minneapolis, where federal authorities have killed two US citizens amid an ongoing deportation campaign.

The package before the Michigan Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee would:

Bar immigration enforcement officials from conducting raids on places of worship, schools, hospitals and courthouses without a prior court order or if necessary to address an imminent threat to the public
Ban officers from wearing masks in the line of duty, except if used for health or safety reasons
Prohibit any government agency in Michigan from sharing people’s personal information for the purposes of immigration enforcement unless there is a judicial warrant

The bills are also tied to a nonbinding Senate Resolution urging Congress to adopt similar policies at the federal level.

Several supporters who testified Thursday, including former law enforcement, argued that ICE officers concealing their identities made it harder for accountability should those officers commit a crime or violate a person’s civil rights while in the line of duty.

Ike McKinnon, who served as chief of the Detroit Police Department from 1993 to 1998, told lawmakers that during his decades on the force both he and his family had been threatened for his police work, “and we didn’t wear a mask.”

“That is part of being a law enforcement officer, or an officer who’s serving and protecting someone,” he said. “You know this is what you’re going in for.”

The federal government says ICE agents wear masks “to prevent doxing, which can (and has) placed them and their families at risk.”

Committee Chair Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, said she would likely hold a third hearing on the bills before any potential vote.

Even if approved by the Democratic-led Senate, the package faces little chance of passing the Republican-led House, where Speaker Matt Hall previously said similar ICE mask legislation introduced in his chamber is “dead on arrival” and “ridiculous.”

The full Senate on Thursday did approve a separate nonbinding resolution urging Congress to restore and strengthen oversight and accountability mechanisms for both ICE and the US Department of Homeland Security “in light of recent events nationwide.”

That resolution was adopted in a 22-15 vote, with support from three Republicans.

“This is low-hanging fruit,” state Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, said of the resolution in a floor speech. “This is the very least we can do … supporting a resolution on behalf of our citizens in Michigan, the citizens in Minnesota, and Americans throughout the entire nation.”

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