1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action against the Department of Homeland Security's plans to construct a new detention center in Romulus and lease office space in Southfield. These ICE expansion efforts threaten our communities and demand a strong response from elected officials at every level of government. Over 1,000 people mobilized in Romulus to oppose the detention center construction, and the Romulus City Council passed a unanimous resolution opposing it. In Southfield, hundreds attended a city council meeting, resulting in a resolution declaring ICE unwelcome and stating that Southfield Police would not cooperate with the agency. These community responses demonstrate widespread opposition to ICE expansion in Metro Detroit. However, federal exemption clauses in the U.S. Constitution mean the federal government is not subject to local zoning and permit requirements. This makes state and federal legislative action critical to stopping these facilities from becoming operational. I am asking you to publicly oppose these ICE expansion plans and use your legislative authority to prevent their implementation. The human cost of detention centers is severe. These facilities separate families, traumatize communities, and enforce a system that denies basic civil rights to immigrants regardless of their contributions to our economy and neighborhoods. Metro Detroit's immigrant communities are integral to our region's workforce, schools, and cultural fabric. I urge you to speak out against ICE expansion in Romulus and Southfield, introduce or support legislation that restricts cooperation with ICE detention operations, and work with labor unions like the UAW and teachers unions like the Michigan Education Association and Detroit Federation of Teachers to build opposition. Our communities deserve representatives who will stand with them against policies that create fear and division. Will you commit to opposing ICE expansion in Metro Detroit and taking concrete legislative action to protect immigrant communities?