Lawmakers warn HR 19 threatens community trust and investments to public safety
State Rep. Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit) speaks in opposition to House Resolution 19 on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at the Capitol Building in Lansing.
LANSING, Mich., Feb. 12, 2025 — House Democrats strongly opposed House Resolution 19 on the House floor yesterday. On the surface the resolution mandates local governments to report and certify their policies, procedures and compliance related to federal immigration as a condition to receive state investments. However, in practice, this policy would endanger public safety, erode community trust and threaten local government funding.
“Real public safety is built on trust between communities and the officers who serve them,” said state Rep. Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit). “When people fear that calling 911 could put them or their loved ones at risk, crimes go unreported, investigations stall and dangerous individuals remain on our streets. We’ve seen this play out before, and we know it makes us all less safe. Not only that, this kind of policy puts at risk necessary investments toward public safety initiatives — police officers, EMT and other critical funding for first line defenders.”
House Democrats contend that local law enforcement agencies should be able to set policies that protect civil liberties while adhering to federal and state law. Local agencies should be allowed to protect citizens from being wrongly detained by ICE, especially after an American citizen and combat veteran was mistakenly held for three days and put at risk of deportation in 2018.
“Let’s be clear about what this resolution is — a way to penalize local communities that have put in place common-sense safeguards to protect citizens from being wrongly detained by ICE,” said state Rep. Stephen Wooden (D-Grand Rapids). “We shouldn’t play politics with local law enforcement agencies that are simply trying to keep their communities safe and protect citizens from unlawful detentions — all within the bounds of federal and state law.”
“The Trump administration is opening a massive concentration camp in Guantanamo Bay. The recently passed Laken-Riley Act mandates the federal detention of undocumented immigrants who are accused of all major crimes and some minor crimes such as theft. The key word here is accused — not even convicted. This act has stripped undocumented immigrants of their constitutional right to due process,” said state Rep. Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City). “Dehumanizing and jailing an entire group of people is always wrong and is always dangerous. I find it shameful that the House Republicans voted to adopt this resolution. These policies are a radical change to how immigration law is enforced. This resolution discourages communities with the threat of cutting funding if they decide to stand up to these inhumane policies.”
The policy would force local governments to focus on federal immigration enforcement at the request of ICE over their own community’s needs — essentially pawning off the duties of the federal government to local entities. This could lead to strained resources and a breakdown in trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
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