GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids City Commission meeting was temporarily paused Tuesday night after pro-immigrant activists interrupted public comment with chanting, urging officials to adopt sanctuary city policies.
"Okay, your conduct has disrupted the meeting, you've been directed to leave the meeting. I'm directing you to leave government property. If you don't comply, I'll have to ask security to ask you to leave," Mayor David LaGrand is heard saying.
The meeting resumed several minutes after the recess.
Watch our coverage of Tuesday night's commission meeting:
Public comment lasted for just over two hours, with many expressing concerns about immigration enforcement in Grand Rapids.
"Right now, too many in our city live in fear. Fear of being torn from their families, fear of calling 911, fear of going to get food. That fear doesn't belong in Grand Rapids and makes us all less safe. This is a moral moment," one person said.
The groups behind Tuesday's public comment push, Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE, have outlined several policies they want Grand Rapids to adopt.
"People are very afraid of what's going to happen in the next few months, years. That they're probably going to be taken by ICE. People don't even want to go to the store; they're sending their children," another person said.
"I am just asking you to protect our community somehow," he added.
The policies proposed by the groups are:
- Policies restricting the ability of state and local police from making arrests for federal immigration violations, or to detain individuals on civil immigration warrants
- Policies restricting the police or other city workers from asking about immigration status
- Policies prohibiting 287(g) agreements through which ICE deputizes local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law
- Policies that prevent local governments from entering into a contract with the federal government to hold immigrants in detention
- Policies preventing immigration detention centers in Grand Rapids
- A policy that will not allow the GRPD to share Flock camera images with federal immigration officials or any other law enforcement agency seeking to arrest, detain and deport immigrants
"I would be pleased if we made the move to be a sanctuary city, but I could settle for a pledge that the local law enforcement does not aid, assist or support ICE operation in any material way, such as calling ICE when making arrests of immigrants, or calling ICE when making criminal or civil arrests," another man said during public comment.
PRIOR COVERAGE: Grand Rapids activists rally for sanctuary city policies outside City Hall
Several commissioners responded to points brought up during public comment.
"Someone mentioned tonight that we need to protect due process. And when I look at what's happening around this country in terms of practice and retorque [sic] and racial profiling and not giving people, documented or undocumented, their right to due process, I'm horrified," Commissioner Kelsey Perdue said. "Earlier this year, this commission voted in our legislative agenda to add that we would oppose any unconstitutional acts. And so I think that it is time for us to reopen this conversation around sanctuary city status based on that and based on what we've heard today."
"I have some questions I'd like to follow up on, personally. I'm not 100% comfortable with all the stories that I'm hearing in the community," Commissioner AliciaMarie Belchak said. "But these are conversations that need to continue and more information be brought forward."
Commissioner Belchak also said she believes the city is doing a lot, and encouraged anyone with concerns to reach out.
"I think that everyone here in Grand Rapids deserves the best life possible. I think we all should be safe. I think what ICE is doing is despicable. I think that we are in a federal crisis. And I think that we have a fantastic city that's doing a lot," Belchak said. "I really would like everyone who has questions about our policies to come and let's have a real talk and tell me where in these policies we're not meeting these six expectations. Because I really believe that we are meeting 95% of it, if not more."
The Grand Rapids Police Department has a policy related to immigration status available on its website. It states that officers cannot stop, question, arrest, or detain someone solely based on immigration status or violation of immigration law.
The policy also outlines ways the department will cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, primarily through requesting and sharing information related to ongoing criminal investigations. Any other cooperation with federal immigration authorities must be approved by police leadership.
