Some Michigan counties and cities are on a list of communities the Trump administration is targeting in its latest escalation in its efforts to deport people without legal status.
At issue is the term “sanctuary city.”
What makes a community a sanctuary city is unclear. But this week, the Department of Homeland Security released a list of cities and counties that it says qualify.
There are six Michigan counties on the list (Oakland, Wayne, Kalamazoo, Wexford, Kent, and Washtenaw) and two cities (Ann Arbor and East Lansing).
Federal officials say the list identifies sanctuary jurisdictions, based on their compliance with federal immigration law.
“These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a press release on the DHS web site.
The Trump administration says each jurisdiction on the list will receive formal notification of its non-compliance and all potential violations of federal criminal statutes.
Officials in the some of the Michigan communities took issue with their place on the “sanctuary” list.
“Our city has never declared or identified itself as a sanctuary city,” said Ann Arbor city administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. in a written statement, “We would never take an action to obstruct the actions of any other law enforcement agency from carrying out their duties.”
Oakland County officials responded saying they have not been notified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that Oakland County has any issue or that it is included on any list of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.
Oakland County Executive David Coulter and Sheriff Michael Bouchard issued a joint statement saying “We are confident that the county’s policies and practices comply with federal law and we were incorrectly placed on this list.”
The state senator representing Wexford County said that jurisdiction, too, was on the list in error.
Senator Michele Hoitenga (R-Manton) said last month her office worked to remove Wexford County from a list of sanctuary communities published by the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank advocating for lower levels of immigration.
In a statement, Hoitenga said Wexford County is following the law and the sanctuary designation "must be resolved immediately."
What specific repercussions face cities and counties on the list remains unclear, though targeted communities could pay a financial price.
An executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to “identify appropriate Federal funds to sanctuary jurisdictions, including grants and contracts, for suspension or termination, as appropriate.”
