Michigan immigrant rights advocates gear up to combat Trump's ICE policies
Pro-immigration protest outside the second Democratic debate in Detroit in 2019 | Ken Coleman
Michigan is already seeing attendance issues at schools after the Trump administration repealed long-standing rules barring immigration agents from making immigration-related arrests at schools and churches last month, Elly Jordan, an attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), said on a Wednesday media call with education professionals and immigrant rights advocates.
No one should be afraid to go to school, Jordan and other advocates said, but the reality is kids and their families in Michigan are scared to separate from their families during the school day.
In addition to promises to spread out Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the country to local communities that have protective policies in place for immigrant residents, the Trump administration in January eliminated protections from migrant arrests in 'sensitive' areas such as schools, churches and hospitals.
'We know that the simple act of rescinding the sensitive locations policy, regardless of whether immigration enforcement actions are actually carried out in such locations, creates a chilling effect, so much that even some U.S. citizen children are afraid to go to school and participate in sports after school activities and nutritional programs that promote their well-being,' Jordan said.
Although they are not identifying any geographic areas of concern for safety reasons, Jordan said MIRC has heard from clients and communities across the state who are reporting that families are afraid to send their kids to school. Jordan added that in the days following the Trump order revoking protection for schools as sensitive areas, one Michigan school reported that only half their students attended classes.
When kids go to school, the biggest problem they should have is to worry about is how they'll do on their math test, not that immigration agents will show up to take them away from their family, said Miriam Aukerman, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan.
When announcing the policy change, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said the revocation of exemption would help agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement better keep law and order in the U.S.
'This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murders and rapists — who have illegally come into our country,' Huffman said. 'Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.'
But kids are legally entitled to an education under the U.S. Constitution and the Michigan Constitution, regardless of immigration status, Aukerman said. In fact, schools have a legal responsibility to respect students' rights and protect their confidential information.
Aukerman and others said there's so much on the line for Michigan families who want the best for their children. For members of the education community who share that concern, there are things they can do.
As schools navigate what to do if immigration agents come to their schools, the ACLU of Michigan and MIRC sent a letter at the end of January outlining what school employees and families can do to protect students in Michigan schools.
One of the first steps the letter recommends is school districts create plans and procedures in consultation with legal counsel to prepare for immigration enforcement officials showing up in the vicinity of schools, bus stops and school functions.
The letter also argues that administrative warrants, which ICE commonly utilizes, do not allow ICE the authority to enter non-public property at schools. Schools are advised to consult legal resources to address any requests for access agents may ask for and to only narrowly provide information and access that is required by law.
And ultimately as the new administration creates policies and orders that create fear, Aukerman said it's crucial to remember that there is power and safety in sticking together and looking out for one another.
'These are not our values. Targeting kids and families is un-American,' Aukerman said. 'Many people have asked me, 'What can we do in this moment?' Here's one thing anyone in any community in Michigan can do right now: Go to your school board and ask them to adopt the best practices in this letter, because that's what Michigan kids deserve.'
aclu-mirc-letter-to-schools-12725
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Black America Web
9 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Donald Trump Stumbles On Air Force One Steps, Social Media Trolls Him With Old Man Jokes
Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty President Donald Trump's having a pretty stressful week. First, he had a very public spat with his former best friend, Elon Musk, on social media, and now he has fanned the flames of Los Angeles' immigration policy protests by deploying the National Guard. But if there's one thing he despises above all, weakness is probably up there, and nearly falling in public falls under that umbrella. It came after he faced a bunch of questions from the media about the Los Angeles uprising. He said that while there's no need to invoke the Insurrection Act currently, there are 'violent people,' a nd 'We are not going to let them get away with it.' He added, 'We are not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.' Ironically, the comment was made moments before his near tumble, as former President Joe Biden's steadiness on his feet was also a constant issue. Trump was in Hagerstown, Maryland, boarding Air Force One heading to Camp David, and while climbing the steps, he tripped and caught himself before falling over. Seconds later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio tripped while going up the steps, too. Biden's mental acuity was questioned due to his balance issues, brain fog, and being the eldest president ever at 82, and Trump used it against him, even nicknaming him sleepy Joe. 'Could we take a vote, please? Who wants to call him crooked Joe? Who wants to call him sleepy Joe? That's my problem, they work like the same,' Trump said at a National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) fundraising event in April. ' Joe had one ability that I didn't have. He could sit down on a beach and he could fall asleep. Who the hell could do that? I could never fall asleep under these circumstances, I would be very conscious of my body.' But now, the tables have turned, and 78-year-old Trump's mentions have been flooded with old jokes. See the reactions below. Donald Trump Stumbles On Air Force One Steps, Social Media Trolls Him With Old Man Jokes was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marines arrive in LA under Trump orders as protests spread to other cities
By Brad Brooks, Jorge Garcia, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived in Los Angeles overnight and more were expected on Tuesday under orders from President Donald Trump, who has also activated 4,000 National Guard troops to quell protests despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom and other local leaders. The city has seen days of public outrage since the Trump administration launched a series of immigration raids on Friday, though local officials said the demonstrations on Monday were largely peaceful. About half of the roughly 700 Marines that Trump ordered to Los Angeles arrived on Monday night, and the remaining troops will enter the city on Tuesday, a U.S. official told Reuters. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told KABC that more than 100 people had been arrested on Monday but that the majority of protesters were nonviolent. Over the weekend, protesters threw rocks and other objects at officers and vehicles and set several cars ablaze. Police responded by firing projectiles like pepper balls as well as flash bang grenades and tear gas. Trump has justified his decision to deploy active military troops to Los Angeles by describing the protests as a violent occupation of the city, a characterization that Newsom and Bass have said is grossly exaggerated. Newsom said that Trump's deployment of National Guard troops has only inflamed the situation and made it more difficult for local law enforcement to respond to the demonstrations. In a statement on Monday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department had not been notified that any Marines were traveling to the city and that their possible arrival "presents a significant logistical and operational challenge" for police. Trump's decision to mobilize 700 Marines based in Southern California escalated his confrontation with Newsom, who filed a lawsuit on Monday asserting that Trump's deployment of Guard troops without the governor's consent was illegal. The Guard deployment was the first time in decades that a president activated the Guard absent a request from a sitting governor. While the Marines are only tasked with guarding federal property temporarily until the full contingent of 4,000 Guard troops arrives, the use of active military to respond to civil disturbances is extremely rare. "This isn't about public safety," Newsom wrote on X on Monday. "It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego." The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed, said he was "gravely troubled" by Trump's deployment of active-duty Marines. "Since our nation's founding, the American people have been perfectly clear: we do not want the military conducting law enforcement on U.S. soil," he said. In a post on Tuesday morning on Truth Social, Trump claimed Los Angeles would be "burning to the ground right now" if he had not deployed troops to the city. DEMONSTRATIONS AND ARRESTS The raids are part of Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown, which Democrats and immigrant advocates have said are indiscriminately breaking up families. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged on Monday to carry out more operations to round up suspected immigration violators. Trump officials have branded the protests as lawless and blamed state and local Democrats for protecting undocumented immigrants with sanctuary cities. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on Monday outside a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles where immigrants have been held, chanting "free them all" and waving Mexican and Central American flags. National Guard forces formed a human barricade to keep people out of the building, and late on Monday, police began dispersing the crowd using gas canisters and arrested some protesters. At dusk, officers had running confrontations with protesters who had scattered into the Little Tokyo section of the city. As people watched from apartment patios above street level and as tourists huddled inside hotels, a large contingent of LAPD and officers and sheriff's deputies fired several flash bangs that boomed through side streets along with tear gas. Protests spread to neighboring Orange County on Monday night after immigration raids there, with demonstrators gathering at the Santa Ana Federal building, according to local officials and news reports. Protests also sprang up in at least nine other U.S. cities on Monday, including New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, according to local news reports. In Austin, Texas, police fired non-lethal munitions and detained several people as they clashed with a crowd of several hundred protesters.


Black America Web
9 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Doechii Slams Trump Administration In Powerful BET Awards Acceptance Speech
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Doechii was all smiles as she accepted the 2025 BET Awards for 'Best Female Hip Hop Artist.' After all, it's the 'Anxiety' artist's first BET Award. But instead of a traditional acceptance speech, she used her platform to bring awareness to the peaceful protest outside the Peacock Theater, which is being forcefully interrupted by authorities. 'I do want to address what's happening right now, outside the building,' she said passionately.'These are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities. In the name of law and order, Trump is using military forces to stop a protest, and I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be — when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.' Dozens of people have been detained and taken into custody during raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting protests in the DTLA area, NBC News reports. 'People are being swept up and torn from their families, and I feel it is my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people,' she added. Per AP, an initial 2,000 Guard troops ordered by Trump started arriving Sunday, which saw the most violence during three days of protests driven by anger over Trump's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart migrant families. These attacks on our civil liberties is more evidence of the Trump Administration's failure to the people. 'This isn't about public safety,' Gov. Gavin Newsom said. 'It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego.' SEE ALSO Doechii Slams Trump Administration In Powerful BET Awards Acceptance Speech was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE