A standing-room-only crowd packed a union hall in Dearborn tonight for a rally to protest what they call harassment by immigration officials. Hundreds of people poured into UAW Local 600 to hear activists and politicians discuss allegations of wrongdoing by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – or ICE – agents.
Complaints include warrantless searches, racial profiling and enforcement actions near schools and churches.
Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez says anecdotal reports suggest the problems in Detroit are more widespread than in other parts of the country:
"We’ve heard of these things happening in other locales too, but the repetition of it seems to be greater in Detroit."
The rally followed a meeting Friday between ICE Director John Morton and local leaders. State Representative Rashida Tlaib was among those in attendance:
"I was disappointed that taxpayer dollars were spent to have the ICE director come all the way here with this huge entourage and not to be able to actually give us some answers."
A spokesman for ICE says a review of the complaints is under way.
Meanwhile, U.S. Representative John Conyers says he’s convening a congressional forum on the issues with ICE that will take place in Detroit next Wednesday.
