Public safety will follow federal law, verify warrants
As a resident of the United States, you always have rights under the law. Jada Hauser | The Washtenaw Voice
Courtney Prielipp | Photo Editor
Recent executive orders regarding immigration enforcement and deportations as well as confirmed Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in Washtenaw County may prompt fear in some community members.
WCC public safety responds to executive orders
Chief John Leacher from the WCC Public Safety Office said, “The enforcement of immigrant status is a federal law enforcement function, not something that your public safety department is concerned with at all. We don’t want to get involved with that, and we have no intention of getting involved with that.”
On Feb. 11, Michigan’s House of Representatives, in a Republican majority lead, voted to restrict funding to cities, colleges and universities that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. At this time, it is unclear how this could affect WCC policies.
“We don’t have any expectations at this time” of a visit from ICE to campus, Leacher said. But Leacher did say that, if an ICE or federal officer does show up on campus, public safety officers will document and record their actions. The staff has been instructed to contact WCC’s public safety if approached by federal law enforcement. That is advised to students as well.
“We have an obligation to follow the law. If there is a legal document that they hold, we will make sure they can carry that out to the best of our ability,” said Leacher.
Public safety will verify whether legal documents are signed by a judge or an ICE agent. Warrants signed by an ICE agent only allow access to public spaces on campus, Leacher said.
Local law enforcement, advocacy groups respond
The Ann Arbor Police Department confirmed the presence of ICE officers in Ann Arbor via Facebook post on Jan. 27. Additional reports of ICE sightings have circulated among social media users, but have not been confirmed.
Many fear what may happen to their family, friends and communities during this uncertain time. But there are some in the community who are here to protect others.
“The ACLU is in a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s ICE and DHS,” said Ramis Wadood, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan. The ACLU is a legal and advocacy group that defends civil liberties in Michigan and across the nation.
Over the past few years, ICE has been known to sign its own warrants to arrest or question someone, Wadood said.
“ICE had used this tactic for many years where they would sign their warrant papers … Many would open their doors to the federal officers without looking closely at the warrant, not realizing it wasn’t signed by a judge,” Wadood said. But for a warrant to be legally enforceable, it must be signed by a judge.
ICE isn’t the only federal law enforcement with a presence in Michigan. Michigan is within a 100-mile border zone, so Border Patrol is also present. Border Patrol says it has more leeway since it claims to have the power to search a person or vehicle without a warrant near the border, said Wadood. But would ICE and Border Patrol force local law enforcement to help them?
Wadood said that local law enforcement agencies do not have to do ICE’s bidding. The federal government can’t force them to do anything. “Local law enforcement around Washtenaw County has the duty of protecting the rights of the people.”
Alyshia Dyer, Washtenaw County’s newly elected sheriff, confirmed to MLive that the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department will not assist ICE, saying “federal immigration matters are federal immigration matters, and we are local public servants.”
Know your rights
When it comes to protecting your rights, Wadood said he “always suggests to all of my clients two main points if they are pulled over by any federal law enforcement asking about immigration status. One, you have the right to remain silent. And two, collect and keep important documents such as birth certificates in one place in case something happens.”
Wadood advises that, if you have a federal officer at your door, you do not have to open the door. First, ask if they have a warrant. If they do have a warrant, read it closely to clarify if a judge signed it. If the warrant wasn’t signed by a judge, you don’t have to open the door for them.
You can find additional information at the ACLU of Michigan website, call them at 313-578-6800 or email them at aclu@aclumich.org.
“I think it is important to stay informed, with information being so readily available, but not so easily checked to be accurate or truthful. Find those sources of information. I would go to more than one, and the ones that you trust, to stay on top of things and then make whatever informed decision is best for you,” Leacher said.
Center for Immigration Studies describes a sanctuary jurisdiction as cities, counties or states that “have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE—either by refusing to or prohibiting agencies from complying with ICE detainers, imposing unreasonable conditions on detainer acceptance, denying ICE access to interview incarcerated aliens, or otherwise impeding communication or information exchanges between their personnel and federal immigration officers.” As of Feb. 13, 2025, Lansing and nine other Michigan counties, including Washtenaw County hold sanctuary city status.
If you are feeling distressed or worried about all of this uncertainty, WCC offers counselors to help students through this emotional process. You can call 734-677-5223 or make an appointment online at WCC Counseling Schedule Appointment.
The following was sent in an internal email to WCC staff and faculty by Linda Blakey, provost and chief operating officer. A copy of this email was posted in the WCC Photo Lab.
What students and staff should do if they interact with ICE or federal officers:
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Regardless of immigration status, people in the United States have rights if stopped or detained by police or federal immigration enforcement:
Information provided by the American Civil Liberties Union. You can find additional information at the ACLU of Michigan website, call them at 313-578-6800 or email them at aclu@aclumich.org. |
Editor’s note: The headline of this story has been updated to clarify WCC’s policy regarding immigration law enforcement. WCC’s police chief said campus officers will follow federal laws, but noted that the enforcement of immigration status is a federal law enforcement function, not a campus safety concern.
This story has also been updated to include additional information about verification of warrants from federal law enforcement. This information was published in the print edition of the Voice.
