Several questions were raised at our last meeting about what’s happening with ICE and CBP here in Michigan. It’s an evolving story, as we’ve seen, with events ramping up in the last few weeks. A member of the HZ Indivisible steering team with ties in both West and Southeast Michigan was able to participate in the demonstrations in Romulus last week. You can also read about it as covered by media; what follows is a first-hand account.

“Most of my friends and family are sympathetic to the ideals that Indivisible espouses: following the Constitution and Rule of Law, to boil it down to basics. For the most part, though, I can not persuade them to protest or rally. Nope. No can do. (My boyfriend, one brother, and my daughters have been exceptions).

“After seeing the horror that is happening on the streets of Minnesota, I thanked God every night that there was no ICE surge here. Yet. 

“So when I read that ICE had apparently outbid an auto supplier for an empty warehouse in Romulus, near Detroit Metropolitan Airport, I knew we had to act. We know the citizens of Minneapolis are setting a high bar for ICE opposition and are paying a terrible cost because of it. Do we have the spine in Southeast Michigan to do the same? I would really rather not be tested… but it looks like we will be.

“Romulus was having a city hall meeting on Monday, February 23, at 7:30. I contacted several Indivisible groups who were supporting a mass protest outside of City hall from 5:30 to 7:30. I don’t know how preventing an ICE detention center in Michigan isn’t a burning platform for everyone, so I sent an email to my siblings, most of whom live in Southeast Michigan, and offered free food and a free ride to anyone who would join. Crickets. My boyfriend loyally said he would come, of course, but I was bitterly disappointed in the lack of participation by siblings and friends. I called my neighbor Diane. She’s relatively new in the neighborhood, but she had gone with me to protest Trump’s visit to the Detroit Economic Club. She agreed enthusiastically to come and even praised my pre-demonstration pasta!

“Once there, we were heartened by the roughly 1,000 demonstrators who were efficiently guided by yellow-vested Indivisible guides (I chatted with one from Dexter). Here are some photos of the protestors; most signs were some variation of “Fxxk ICE!” Some Democratic candidates were there including Garlin Gilchrist, Mallory McMorrow, Abdul El-Sayed and others. 

“Apparently, a Daniel Radcliffe (from Harry Potter fame) look-alike was espousing MAGA ideas before we arrived and there was a scuffle broken up by police, but that seemed to be the only dissenting voice. Well, he and a Tesla truck decorated with photos of Kristi Noem and other Trump sycophants that drove up and down past the demonstrators several times. The police pulled them over (much to our amusement).

“Only Romulus citizens were allowed into the city hall meeting, so we left before it started. At the end of the night, we were heartened to hear that the city hall unanimously voted to reject the ICE detention center in Romulus. The mayor published letters to Kristi Noem and to the City of Romulus, and Senators Peters and Slotkin have announced their opposition to the detention center in Romulus. [Dana Nessel has also expressed opposition.]

“What happens next? We don’t know yet, but stay tuned. I don’t think this fight is over.

“When I first started working after college, I used to wonder at inexplicable (to me) actions my co-workers would take. Trying to help me understand the different personalities I would meet at work, my dad would counsel me, “Everyone saves the company in their own way.” I often remembered that during my career.. Maybe when I feel disappointed at the apparent inaction of friends and relatives, I need to remember that “everyone saves the country in their own way,” too.

“Saving the country.”

To track the bigger picture of ICE activity in Michigan and across the country, check out the DHS Contracts Visualizerfor warehouse and other facility purchases. Learn about the Detention Watch Network and their strategies for building the movement to end immigration detention. And for a very local avenue for engagement, investigate Todos Bienvenidos Rapid Response, which offers training and connection and can use your financial support.

Photo by benjamin lehman on Unsplash