City of Detroit is partnering with organizations to extend stand-by shelters and respite locations due to the extreme cold coming this weekend.

The Neighborhood Service Organization will open from Friday Jan 23 at 6 p.m. to Tuesday, Jan. 27 at noon. This site can only accept single adults.

Pope Francis Center is sheltering people through Jan. 27 at noon as well. They are also only accepting single adults. And the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries is operating through Jan. 27 at noon. They are accepting families and single adults.

Residents seeking relief from the bitter cold may also visit Detroit recreation centers and public library branches during regular operating hours.

Any individuals sleeping outside and needing help after hours can go to a police precinct to be connected with an outreach team for help with overnight services.

Additional headlines for Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

Due to the deep freeze this weekend, the Detroit Zoo and the Belle Isle Nature Center are closed today and Saturday. Animal care staff worked to ensure the animals continued to receive the care they need. The parks hope to be open on Sunday, but they will monitor the weather forecast before making that decision.

The National Weather service issued a cold weather advisory for all of southeast Michigan that lasts until Saturday morning. The agency says exposed skin could be damaged in as little as half an hour, and they say pet owners should not leave their animals outdoors.

Wayne County Juvenile Detention hosts open interviews

The Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility is hosting open interviews for two critical roles from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center. They will host a hiring event for individuals interested in becoming one of their Juvenile Detention Specialists or a Crisis Response Team Specialist.

For more information go to waynecountymichigan.gov.

Sports

NBA

The Detroit Pistons are on a 4 game winning streak and hope to extend that today when they face the Houston Rockets. Tipoff for the game is at 7 p.m.

NFL

Detroit Lions offensive tackle Dan Skipper announced his retirement via Instagram on Thursday. Skipper was dealing with a lower back injury all season. He said he will pursue coaching in his future.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is performing at the Detroit Opera House Jan. 24-25. The program will feature works from contemporary choreographers and Tony Award–winning Broadway choreographer Bob Fosse.

For more information go to detroitopera.com.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Immigration enforcement in the United States has escalated sharply this year. Under the Biden administration, the daily number of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) peaked at just under 40,000. In President Trump’s second term, that number has surged to more than 65,000.

A striking majority of those detainees — nearly three-quarters — have no criminal convictions.

Michigan has felt this shift acutely. Longtime residents with work authorization, U.S.-citizen children, and active immigration cases are increasingly being detained. One of them is Ernesto Cuevas Enciso.

Who Ernesto is

Ernesto came to the United States from Mexico in 1995. He was three years old. His baby sister, Miriam, was one. They grew up in Detroit one grade apart, sharing classrooms, milestones, and daily life.

As an adult, Ernesto became a DACA recipient. That protection was later revoked when prior, nonviolent misdemeanors surfaced during a renewal screening—a common outcome even for minor offenses from many years earlier.

Today, Ernesto has legal work authorization through a different process and is pursuing a marriage-based green card application. He is a construction worker, a husband, and a father to a one-year-old daughter.

Arrest in Ypsilanti

Last week, Ernesto and another construction worker were near a job site in Ypsilanti when an unmarked vehicle approached. ICE detained both men.

Ernesto is now being held more than three hours from home at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin — currently the largest immigration detention facility in the Midwest.

Operated by the private prison company GEO Group, North Lake has been the subject of repeated concerns from families, attorneys, and civil-rights groups, who describe cold temperatures, limited access to medical care, and difficulty contacting legal counsel. ICE has disputed these claims, saying the facility meets federal standards.

Ernesto is awaiting an immigration hearing on December 17.

Family and lawmakers call for his release

Ernesto’s family and several Michigan lawmakers are urging ICE to release him on bond. They describe him as not a safety risk, a man who has been following the legal process, supporting his family, and working toward lawful permanent residency.

His sister, Miriam Stone, spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about the impact of this detention on their family and why they believe Ernesto should come home while his case proceeds.

What comes next

To understand the legal and policy context behind Ernesto’s case and why so many longtime Michigan residents are being detained this year, The Metro also spoke with Christine Suave of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, who explains the legal landscape and what options remain for someone in Ernesto’s position, and State Sen. Stephanie Chang, who discusses what Michigan lawmakers can and cannot do in response to federal immigration enforcement decisions.

ICE response

The Metro contacted Detroit’s office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We asked why they detained Ernesto, given his legal work authorization and his pending marriage-based green card, and if ICE considers a person with two nonviolent misdemeanors, which occurred over a decade ago, to fall within its priority categories of enforcement.

The agency has not yet responded.

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