There’s no sign that Detroit will change any of its immigrant-friendly policies as a result of Donald Trump’s election, according to one City Council member who has helped spearhead some of them.
Detroit is a self-designated “sanctuary city.” Those cities offer limited protections to undocumented immigrants.
Trump has pledged to cancel federal funding to all sanctuary cities during his first 100 days in office.
But Detroit City Council member Raquel Castañeda Lopez said there are no plans to change anything—yet.
“We do not stand down to our commitment to being a sanctuary city,” Castañeda Lopez said. "We don’t stand down to our commitment to being a welcoming city. We do not stand down to our commitment to welcoming refugees.”
Trump’s first 100 days plan also pledges to suspend all immigration from terror-prone regions, and subject all refugees to “extreme vetting.”
Castañeda Lopez says the city is also still committed to unrolling its municipal ID program within weeks.
It will offer IDs to people who traditionally don’t have them, including undocumented immigrants.
But Castañeda Lopez says that’s only part of the program’s purpose.
“Municipal IDs were never meant just for undocumented immigrants,” she said. “It’s about providing basic services to our citizens. As a local government, that is our right and our responsibility.”
Castañeda Lopez says the program needs to get started by December 3rd.
