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Kent County has no intention of becoming ‘sanctuary'

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Kent County has again asserted that it is not a so-called 'sanctuary' county and has no intention of changing that. Dozens of people attended the Board of Commissioners' meeting Thursday to voice their feelings on the matter. County leaders emphasized the their role is to work within their jurisdiction, navigating rapidly developing federal policy on immigration to determine the best path forward. Commenters flood GR commission meeting to urge sanctuary city status A statement from the county handed out at the meeting said 'Kent County is not and has never been a sanctuary county' (emphasis included) and that it has a rule against nonbinding resolutions of the type that might indicate a stance either way on immigration. 'The board's role is to concentrate on matters within its legal jurisdiction, leaving policy decisions on immigration and other federal matters to those with the authority to make and enforce them. That is why the board does not adopt these types of resolutions,' Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg said. The statement said the Kent County Sheriff's Office met with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in January. It said it will continue to work collaboratively with all law enforcement agencies as the local state and federal levels, including ICE, and that ICE 'considers the Sheriff's office cooperative.' Think tank takes Kent County off 'sanctuary' list The commissioners said it has received thousands of emails about immigration policy, with about 70% of those opposed to a 'sanctuary' county designation. More than a dozen people spoke during the public comment period, with opinions varied over concerns that hospitals and schools no long being safe spaces to by not cooperating. The meeting concluded with Board Chair Ben Greene, a Republican, thanking attendees for remaining civil and respectful. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.