People fanned out across the Michigan Capitol on Tuesday to protest two bills that would prevent Michigan cities and counties from passing ordinances that limit cooperation with federal immigration agents. House Bills 4083 and 4090 would ban sanctuary city policies that instruct police agencies or jails not to detain people solely for being undocumented, or hold people for ICE agents to pick up. Diego Bonesatti with the group Michigan United tells us the bills would invite abuse.
“They create a space where the likelihood is that police will be expected to contact ICE if they come across a person who they think is foreign-born. This is going to create a mistrust of the police department in immigrant communities.”
Some cities keep information about immigration status confidential when a person isn’t accused of any non-immigration violation. Supporters of the bills say cities and counties have a duty to comply when the federal government requests an immigration hold.
