Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said Friday he will no longer seek to fire two cops who called U.S. Border Patrol during separate traffic stops, supporting instead a 30-day unpaid suspension imposed by the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners.
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Communities across Michigan are asking how, exactly, local law enforcement is working with federal immigration agents as the Trump administration steps up aggressive enforcement, including the killing of two Americans in Minneapolis. In Detroit, that question is playing out on the pages of two police personnel files.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison vowed to fire two officers who broke department rules by calling U.S. Border Patrol during traffic stops, handing people over to federal immigration agents. Then he dropped the terminations.
In one stop, an officer called Border Patrol, believing the person was undocumented. In the other, a sergeant called for help communicating with a driver who didn’t speak English, though the department runs a 24-hour translation hotline.
DPD policy — stemming from a 2007 anti-profiling ordinance and a 2020 internal directive — bars officers from contacting Border Patrol, ICE, or any federal agency for translation or immigration enforcement.
Outlier Media’s public records requests turned up at least two more incidents the chief did not disclose.
Ahead of the Board of Police Commissioners’ vote on the suspensions, The Metro’s Robyn Vincent spoke with Noah Kincade, who runs the Documenters program at Outlier Media.
The Detroit Documenters helped surface these cases at police commission meetings.
ICE and CBP did not respond to WDET’s requests for comment about this story.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
Editor’s Note: After this interview aired, the Board of Police Commissioners voted 10–0 to suspend both officers without pay for 30 days. Bettison, who said he would terminate them, backed off the next morning. His reversal comes after one officer sued in federal court, claiming her lieutenant ordered the call, and Michigan Republican House Speaker Matt Hall threatened to review Detroit’s state funding in response to the case.
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The Detroit Police Department told city council Tuesday that the department does not participate in immigration enforcement.
City Council questioned the department about how and if it provides any support to ICE after reports of officers working alongside Customs and Border Patrol. First Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald told the council the department is not in the immigration business.
“We have, obviously, a city ordinance for bias-based policing. We have our own policy for bias-based policing. We have special orders that we do not unless there is an absolute nexus to a violent crime. We’re not in the immigration business, and even then, I’ll tell you, if it’s connected to a violent crime, we shouldn’t care.”
Police Chief Todd Bettison has said recently he plans to fire two officers who used Customs and Border Protection for assistance during traffic stops, which is against DPD policy.
Council Member Santiago Romero says she is speaking with the mayor about establishing a hotline for residents to call if they are concerned about DPD working with ICE
The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation’s Green Grocer Program had its first ribbon cutting this week since the program relaunched in 2024. Kandies sandwich shop will now feature a mini mart that will sell fresh produce, dairy, baked goods, and other grocery items.
Owner Jacquisha Blackwell received a $25 Green Grocer grant to purchase refrigeration, shelving, and upgrade electrical systems. The Green Grocer program has generated more than $50 million in investment during its first phase between 2010 and 2017, supporting more than 40 grocery stores.
The Justice Department is investigating the Detroit Public Schools and two other Michigan districts. Prosecutors want to know if the schools teach sexual orientation and gender-related topics in their classes without giving parents the choice to remove their kids from such lessons.
The DOJ says that would violate federal law and subject the districts to lawsuits and a loss of federal funding. The department has also sent warning letters to the Lansing School District and the Wyoming Godfrey-Lee public schools in west Michigan.
Construction on I-94 near Detroit Metro Airport has begun between Romulus and Dearborn. Traffic will be reduced to one or two lanes in each direction beginning this summer. The $353 million rebuild is expected to wrap up in mid-2029.
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Across metro Detroit, some leaders’ stances against ICE have gotten firmer.
The Detroit police chief is not allowing his officers to work with ICE. Last week, Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor spoke with The Metro about his criticisms of the institution.
Now, in Southfield, federal and state lawmakers are trying to stop ICE from opening an administrative office.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who is running to be Michigan’s Attorney General, has expressed concerns about ICE enforcement, and the presence of ICE agents in her jurisdiction. She spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent about that and more.
The Metro contacted US Immigration and Customs Enforcement prior to this conversation. They did not respond with a comment by the time this aired.
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In 2026, voters in Michigan will cast ballots for races involving the office of Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State. Gary Peters (D-MI) is opting to retire, so there’s an open U.S. Senate seat.
Democrats have three strong candidates: Mallory McMorrow, Haley Stevens, and Abdul El-Sayed. All three have raised millions of dollars for their campaigns ahead of the August primary.
Throughout the primary, Detroit Public Radio will be checking in with the candidates so our listeners can make an informed decision. The focus of this first round of interviews is to set a baseline for the candidates views on policy and what separates them from their competitors.
Having talked with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow, this first round of conversations concludes with Congresswoman Haley Stevens.
She talked with All Things Considered Detroit Host Russ McNamara on Feb. 18, 2026.
Russ McNamara: This week, you went to the largest detention center for migrants in the Midwest- the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin. You’ve called for the impeachment of homeland security secretary Kristi Noem. Should Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) exist as an agency?
U.S. Representative Haley Stevens: Well, ICE needs to be overhauled. I will tell you that we need to start seeing accountability, and we need a complete overhaul of ICE. There has been mismanagement from the very top, and that’s Kristi Noem. That’s why I’m signed on to the articles of impeachment.
It’s also why I have signed on to legislation to redirect the $75 billion plus up that came from the Big Beautiful Bill championed by Donald Trump that went to ICE. That $75 billion needs to go to local law enforcement and for training and for safety and protocol measures that are really going to keep our neighborhoods safe.
What ICE is doing right now is so out of control, it is so damaging, and it’s chaotic. Michiganders are seeing what unfolded in Minneapolis, and they are worried about that coming here.
RM: In Baldwin, you told reporters, “There is female leadership here, and there are women who walked with us today…and explained how important it is to treat people with humanity.” I’m kind of curious about this quote, because taken as it is, it almost seems like you’re saying what’s happening there is okay as long as women have a seat at the table.
HS: Well, what’s happening with ICE is not okay at all. And what was very astonishing, and the reason I made that point, is because these are supposed to be the most “dangerous criminals” that ICE is taking into these detention facilities, and yet there are guards and people in that facility who don’t carry any weapons.
There’s no weapons, there’s no tasers, and yet we are supposedly dealing with the most dangerous criminals. So what ICE is doing is certainly not okay, and that’s why I’m pushing very hard for these reforms and accountability. I mean, we need to see accountability, particularly for crimes that have been committed, and we need to see prosecutions out of what happened in Minneapolis.
RM: What is your plan to fix health care? Your opponents have endorsed a public option or Medicare for All. Where do you stand in all that?
HS: I’m writing legislation and fighting for Michigan’s affordable health care each and every single day, and I have throughout my time in Congress. I deeply believe that we need to expand the Affordable Care Act. We need to protect that and we we also need to make the tax subsidies permanent. We’ve seen before our very eyes time and time again how Republicans do not believe in the promise of affordable, quality, accessible health care.
I worked in the Obama administration. I want to protect Obamacare. I also want to address the cuts to Medicaid that have come down. We need to keep expanding Medicaid.
And then lastly, we need to tackle the cost of prescription drugs. We’ve made some headway on that in previous times. Right now, it feels as though our prescription drug efforts are falling on deaf ears. I believe in benchmarking prescription drug costs to the cost of Medicare.
RM: Being in the U.S. House, you know better than anyone that Congress has largely been in gridlock these past few years. If elected to the Senate, do you support the elimination of the filibuster?
HS: I’ll tell you that I do for a variety of matters, particularly women’s health protection. That’s legislation that I have championed in the house, that I’ve seen pass the House and then fall flat in the Senate. Republicans like Mike Rogers (U.S. Senate candidate) are going to vote for a national abortion ban, and they are going to stand in the way of codifying abortion rights in this country. We have those rights here in Michigan, we had a tremendous victory at the ballot box a handful of years ago, and yet those rights are still vulnerable. There are lawmakers on the other side of the aisle who are not going to stand up for people’s health, not going to stand up for women’s abortions rights, and addressing the filibuster will get us out of that mess.
RM: Do you support reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court—packing, term limits or otherwise?
HS: Look, all three branches of government have some real need for reforms and some ethics. I deeply support ethics reform. For the Supreme Court, what seems to look like pay-to-play, the fact that they have a different set of ethics rules, I think it would be more than appropriate, given that the Supreme Court doesn’t have elections, and it’s a lifetime appointment to look at the term limits and age limits and the like.
RM: Approval ratings for Democratic leadership right now are around 25%. Do you think Congress needs a fresh look or move on from the current leadership of Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries?
HS: Well, I’ll tell you what, Congress and this open U.S. Senate seat that we have here in Michigan needs its best champion in the United States Senate, and that’s me. Someone with a track record of results for our state when we’re in moments of uncertainty, I put up my hand to run at it. I did that as chief of staff in the administration of Barack Obama on the U.S. auto rescue, when General Motors and Chrysler were steering bankruptcy off the cliff and 200,000 Michigan jobs were on the line; I have stood up for our state economy and our workforce when supply chain disruptions were coming down, and helped to pass the CHIPS and Science Act. That’s a track record of delivery and speaking directly to what drives our economy, which keeps people employed, and also a plan to lower costs. And so I’m ready to hit the ground running in the United States Senate. And I believe my run for United States Senate is about the future of Michigan.
RM: But that wasn’t the question. I was asking you if there should be a change in Democratic leadership.
HS: You’re asking me about the future of the Democratic Party. And there are some people who are running who assume that’s what this race is all about, and I don’t think that’s fair to the people of Michigan. I believe that this race is about the future of Michigan and our workforce, and who’s going to get points on the scoreboard for organized labor.
I’m sitting before you here today as the only candidate in this race who’s been endorsed by organized labor, and in terms of, you know, the inside baseball conversations, because I understand what you were specifically asking me. Of course, we can make those decisions. You know, Elissa Slotkin and I will absolutely hone in on what’s best for Michigan and what’s best for the Senate operations. That’s what’s got to happen. You know, in terms of some of those inside baseball, who’s in leadership and whatnot? What Michigan needs, and what I am focused on, is Michigan leadership.
RM: Michiganders seem to hate data centers. The growing A.I. boom, if it comes to fruition, will eat up a lot of resources. How do you weigh the need to address climate change with the constant need for business growth and more jobs in Michigan?
HS: Well, look at what we accomplished with the Inflation Reduction Act—something that I was proud to champion in the House of Representatives alongside leaders from our environmental movement, like the League of Conservation Voters. And that was the first time in history where the industry leaders, automotive companies in particular, also endorsed that legislation. And when we look at the large challenges that we are facing in terms of climate change, it is an all hands on deck approach.
We have got to take climate changes and energy needs very seriously, and this is something that I have fought for in the United States House of Representatives on the science committee, right? I held the first hearing on recycling technology in a decade when I got to Congress.
And so in some respects, you know, the table setting and the way in which we can look at creating jobs, winning the future and ensuring that we are not polluting, that we’ve shown that that can be done, you know, in terms of data centers and winning innovation races, I have been rigorous in conversations around the environmental protections and the consumer protections and the cost needs.
RM: Money in this country seems to be going upwards. We’re creating lots of new billionaires. How do you address the growing wealth gap?
HS: We need someone who’s gonna fight for our organized labor and our middle class, and get the protecting the right to organize legislation done, as well as ensuring that the National Labor Relations Board actually has people with a labor background on the board. This administration has gone after people’s rights to organize, they have been trying to squash the voice of organized labor, and that is one of the best keys to addressing the wealth gap: the negotiating power of the workforce. I’m not running for Senate to do billionaire bidding.
I believe that this race is about the future of Michigan and our workforce, and who’s going to get points on the scoreboard for organized labor.
You know, I didn’t vote for the Big, Beautiful Bill because for a variety of reasons, and one, very starkly, was that that bill was a billionaire giveaway. We we have to have a fair marginal tax rate. Billionaires have got to pay their fair share. And lastly, we need a plan to lower costs for hard working Michiganders and retirees. I’ve got legislation to do that, tackling the cost of food and tackling the prices of everyday goods.
RM: When people in this country are going hungry, ethically, should billionaires exist?
HS: Well, we’re not going to be seeing someone like myself do billionaire bidding in the United States Senate, I’ll tell you that much. Tackling where and how billionaires are not paying their fair share needs to get done. We need a fair marginal tax rate. That is something that I feel very strongly about, and I feel so frustrated because we have seen this administration trample over our middle class put into place reckless tariffs that have created job insecurity and job loss.
Parts of Michigan have some of the fastest growing unemployment in the country right now because of these tariffs and the cuts to clean energy investments going into our manufacturing sector, and now we have a president who doesn’t want to open the Gordie Howe bridge—another slap in the face to our workers. We can’t be in the business of these billionaire giveaways, and we also can’t be in the business of not adjusting our tax code and fighting for labor rights.
RM: You say you’re not doing billionaire bidding, but you are taking corporate PAC money. That separates you from your competitors in the primary. Why?
HS: I’m deeply proud to have a campaign that has got 95% of donations that are $200 or less and those are coming from nurses and factory workers and grocery workers. I’m deeply proud to have the endorsements of the Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus, former Speaker Joe Tate, the mayors of Livonia and Lansing and Grand Rapids in my campaign. And it’s it’s a grassroots endeavor. And look, you’ve got someone like Mike Rogers, who is going to continue to rubber stamp Donald Trump and stand in the way of comprehensive campaign finance reform. I have an “A” grading from the leading anti-corruption campaign finance reform organization because of my record.
RM: AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has raised millions on your behalf for this Senate run, and in past campaigns. Since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks, Israel has been accused of war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian people. How do you reconcile voting for military support for Israel when you know exactly how the Israeli military has been using it?
HS: Well, I’d say this, that the goal has always been long term peace. We have needed to see the hostages come home, which they did, and that was an incredible day. We are in the second phase of a ceasefire, and the goal is a lasting ceasefire that will mean that Hamas has to put down its weapons, and also the calls that I have made for Israel and the United States to work together on rebuilding efforts and on humanitarian aid. We need people in Gaza, Palestinian people, to have dignity and peace, just as we need people in Israel to do so.
RM: So there’s been no hesitation in taking money from AIPAC?
HS: I’m running my campaign in a grassroots way, with individual donors who participate in the democratic process in the way that our country allows. I’m proud of my record of standing up alongside democracy and freedom and humanitarian needs. You know, here in the United States and and certainly abroad.
Note: A planned question about the rights of trans people in the U.S. was withheld because Congresswoman Stevens needed to leave for another appointment.
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Oakland County leaders and residents are protesting a possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement administrative office in Southfield. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and State Senator Jeremy Moss were among dozens of protesters at the site Tuesday. State Representative Jason Hoskins says residents are concerned about ICE having a larger presence in Southfield.
“Across the country, people have seen mass federal agents operating in ways that feel aggressive and intimidating and disconnected from the communities that they serve, and when communities of color see mass individuals exercising power, it says a historical weight that cannot be ignored.”
The building owner, REDICO, said in a statement that the lease is with the General Services Administration, and not directly with ICE.
DTE Energy fined for clean air violations
A federal judge has ordered DTE Energy to pay 100 million dollars for Clean Air Act violations in Metro Detroit. The infractions occurred at a subsidiary facility on Zug Island where coal is turned into coke for steel production. Sulfur dioxide is produced during the process. The gas can cause health problems when inhaled. The Environmental Protection Agency sued the coke plant in 2022. The judge also ordered the facility to come into compliance with clean air laws and to start a Community Quality Action Committee to work on air quality improvement projects. DTE Energy says it will appeal the ruling.
Cardiac emergency plans for school stalls
Michigan lawmakers required schools to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan for the current school year if the Legislature appropriated “sufficient funds.” But funding wasn’t dedicated in the education budget. A Senate proposal to include funding was removed by the House and was not included in the final budget. That means enforcement of the law is stalled. Bridge Michigan reports the state Department of Education says decisions on whether to implement emergency plans at the state’s estimated 5,000 public and nonpublic schools depend on local capacity and available resources.
The holy month of Ramadan has begun
Ramadan has begun. The Islamic holy month began Tuesday after sunset. Today is the first day of fasting. Muslim communities observe the event by praying intently, reading the Quran, giving to charity, and fasting from sunrise to sunset. Families gather in the evening to break their fast. Ramadan is the month when it is believed that the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad.
Ash Wednesday observed
Today is Ash Wednesday, a solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Lent, the season of repentance, reflection and self-denial for Catholics and many other Christians. Worshippers attend church today and receive ashes, commonly spread in the shape of a cross on the forehead to remind them that life is short and that they should focus on things of the spirit.
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Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said Tuesday she is prepared to investigate and prosecute federal immigration officers if they violate the law after news surfaced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is opening an office in Southfield.
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The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the end of Temporary Protected Status for Yemen. The designation was first granted to Yemeni nationals in September 2015 due to war in the country. TPS designation was renewed several times between 2017 and 2024.
Noem says the conditions in the country have improved, no longer warranting TPS. She says the designation was meant to be temporary.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about 1,400 Yemeni nationals had TPS status as of last year.
Secretary Noem says TPS beneficiaries who have exhausted their lawful basis for staying in the U.S. have 60 days to self-deport—that’s April 14. People are encouraged to use the U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP Home app to report their departure for self-deportation, which includes a complimentary plane ticket and a $2,600 dollar bonus, which Noem says leaves the possibility of legal opportunities for future immigration. Those who do not leave may be arrested and deported and cannot return to the U.S.
TPS recipients can seek out legal residency through asylum or work visas.
Two Detroit police officers have been suspended for coordinating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Detroit Free Press reports that led to two people being possibly deported.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison requested the officers’ pay be suspended. Previously, Bettison told Detroit City Council members the police department does not do immigration enforcement.
On Feb. 9, a Detroit sergeant called Border Patrol when an officer requested translation services for a non-English speaker during a traffic stop, prompting an investigation by CBP who then took the person into custody. Another incident occurred in December, when an officer called Border Patrol while investigating a felony warrant.
The Board of Police Commissioners will decide this week whether to suspend the officers’ pay. Bettinson says officers have been discouraged from working with Customs and Border unless a detainer is issued and signed by a judge.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told CBS News Detroit on Sunday the federal agency has purchased a facility in Romulus.
The facility is expected to bring nearly 1,500 jobs to the area, just under $150 million in economic activity and more than $33 million in tax revenue.
Last week, Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight said in a Facebook post that the Department of Homeland Security secured a building about 6 miles northwest of Detroit Metro Airport.
McCraight said that the detention center would be opposed by the city at all levels and he is working with legal counsel to determine what authority the city has to stop it.
-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley
The Williams Recreation Center is hosting a college fair next week. It will feature admissions and scholarship information, financial aid guidance and student and alumni engagement. Light refreshments will be provided, and it’s free and open to the public.
Call 313-628-2039 or email taylor.small@detroitmi.gov for more info. The college fair takes place on Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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Across the country, small businesses in immigrant communities are reporting the same pattern: customers are disappearing, workers aren’t showing up, and revenue is in decline.
Federal immigration enforcement has reshaped daily life in these neighborhoods, and some business owners say it’s hitting them harder than COVID, in part because there’s no PPP loan or government lifeline this time around.
In Los Angeles County, the vast majority of surveyed businesses reported negative impacts, with nearly 50% losing more than half their revenue. In Chicago’s Little Village, business sales have dropped an estimated 50 to 70%. And the Brookings Institution estimates that 2025 may have been the first year in over half a century that net migration to the U.S. went negative.
That same predicament is playing out in metro Detroit. In Southwest Detroit, Dearborn, and Hamtramck, the small businesses that anchor entire neighborhoods are under growing pressure. Business owners along Vernor Highway describe empty storefronts, canceled appointments, and streets that used to bustle with foot traffic now eerily quiet. Community networks — WhatsApp alert groups, volunteer patrols, whistle distribution — have emerged to help residents maintain their daily routines.
Mark Lee is the president and CEO of The Lee Group, a consulting firm that works with small businesses on strategy, marketing, and growth across Southeast Michigan. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to talk about what he’s hearing from owners on the ground.
Listen to the full conversation using the media player above.
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The three Democrats vying for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat agree that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has grown increasingly brutal under President Donald Trump, but they are sharply divided over whether the agency can be fixed at all.
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Across Michigan, city leaders and police chiefs are asking the same question: how should they work with federal immigration officers?
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been active across southeast Michigan, including in Livonia, Ypsilanti, Detroit, and other cities. ICE detention centers have been proposed in Highland Park and Romulus. We already know some of the outcomes.
In Michigan, from January to October of last year, ICE arrested over 2,300 people and detained almost the same amount, according to the Deportation Data Project. That number has nearly tripled since last year.
Some city council members in Michigan have called for limitations on ICE and have supported state bills aimed at that exactly. But many Michigan mayors have remained silent on the issue.
That’s not the case for Michael Taylor. He’s the mayor of Sterling Heights, where nearly 28% of residents are immigrants. He’s recently made headlines for wanting his city’s police department to separate itself from federal agents.
He spoke with Robyn Vincent about what kinds of ICE policies he thinks Michigan cities should have.
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According to the National Crime Information Center more than 271,000 girls and women were reported missing in 2022 alone. 36% of them were Black.
These are not just numbers. They are daughters, sisters, classmates, and friends. And too often, their stories are underreported, or not reported at all.
Black girls and women are disproportionately impacted by violence, trafficking, and systemic neglect. And that neglect has consequences. It has led to higher rates of disappearance than their white counterparts and far less urgency when they go missing.
The loss of a Black girl doesn’t just affect a family. It ripples through entire communities, through classrooms, neighborhoods, and peer groups, leaving behind fear, grief, and anger that rarely make headlines.
“Unseen” is a new production by Teen Hype that confronts this silence head-on. It invites audiences into a necessary conversation about what young people—especially Black girls—are facing today, and what it means to be unseen in moments when visibility can save lives.
Teen HYPE is a Detroit-based organization dedicated to empowering young people through education, advocacy, and holistic creative expression.
“Unseen” is directed by Teen Hype alum Mallory Childs, who is currently a sophomore at Spelman College in Atlanta. She and Teen HYPE co-founder Ambra Redrick join the show to talk about the project.
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Federal immigration agents have been involved in at least 30 shootings since President Trump returned to office — eight of them fatal. In almost every case, the administration declared the agents’ actions justified before any investigation was complete.
Two of those killings happened in Minneapolis within three weeks of each other: Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24. Both were U.S. citizens, age 37, and in both cases, masked federal officers opened fire, and the Trump administration’s initial accounts were later contradicted by video evidence.
Their deaths spurred protests across the country and accelerated a growing push by local and state governments to impose limits on federal immigration agents.
In Detroit, City Council member Mary Waters has introduced the Alex Pretti Detroit No Masks Ordinance, which would prohibit any law enforcement officer — local, state, or federal — from concealing their face while performing their duties in the city. The proposal has been referred to committee but has not yet received a vote.
At the state level, the Michigan Senate held hearings last month on a package of bills aimed at how federal immigration enforcement operates in the state. They would ban law enforcement masks, bar ICE from operating in schools, hospitals, and houses of worship, and prevent state agencies from sharing data with federal immigration authorities.
Former Detroit Police Chief Isaiah “Ike” McKinnon was among those who testified in support of the bills.
McKinnon joined the Detroit Police Department in 1965. Two years later, during the 1967 Detroit uprising, fellow white officers pulled him over while he was in full uniform, put a gun to his head, and shot at him. During that same period, officers across the department were removing their badges to avoid being identified. McKinnon survived — and stayed on the force. In 1993, Mayor Dennis Archer appointed him Detroit’s second Black police chief. Over five years, he overhauled the department’s approach to community trust.
Now 82, McKinnon told Michigan senators he sees the same pattern repeating: officers who conceal their identities operate without accountability.
He spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about how local police should respond to this moment.
Use the media player above to hear the conversation.
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President Trump is continuing to push lies about the 2020 presidential election in Detroit, and using his unsupported claims of fraud to push for federal oversight of midterms.
During an executive order signing to end the government shutdown, Trump told reporters he thinks Republicans should take election rights away from some states that the president did not win in 2020. He used three prominent swing states as examples.
“Take a look at Detroit… take a look at Pennsylvania… take a look at Philadelphia. You go take a look at Atlanta. Look at some of the places that… horrible corruption on elections.”
Prominent Republican strategist and Trump-ally Steve Bannon has said ICE agents would be sent to polling places in this year’s midterm elections.
Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey says any attempt to take over voting would be partisan politics at its worst. Winfrey says the results were fair and transparent then and subsequent elections have been, too. The U.S. Constitution says states decide how to conduct elections. Congress can enact some regulations, but the president has no control over elections.
The Coalition of Property Tax Justice says Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s recent executive order is too vague and does not do enough to stop over assessments in the city.
Sheffield signed an order last week aimed at improving transparency in the city’s assessment process and requiring the office to meet national standards.
Professor Bernadette Athutahene says the order does not specify how to conduct an assessment ratio study, which is required by the property tax reform ordinance.
“We thought that the executive order would say, you know, to do a mass appraisal report, and those two things are different. The mass appraisal report, you can’t apply Iao standards to a mass appraisal report.”
The coalition did praise Sheffield for requiring the office follow the ratio standards of the International Association of Assessing Officers. The coalition published a revised version of the executive order with more parameter specifics for a property assessment.
A 500 bed ICE detention facility has been proposed for Romulus, but officials say it’s not set in stone. Romulus was among 23 locations nationwide identified in a recent Bloomberg report detailing the Trump administration’s plan to buy warehouses and convert them into ICE detention centers.
The Washington Post reported in December that a warehouse in Highland Park was being looked at as a potential location. The Mayor of Highland Park has recently said the city was not interested at all and the city lacks the space for such a plan.
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The post Detroit Evening Report: Trump wants federal oversight of midterm elections, continues to deny 2020 results appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.
Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running as an independent gubernatorial candidate, is refusing to say how he would handle federal immigration enforcement if elected governor, even as public opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement is surging nationwide.
The post Duggan goes silent on ICE as public backlash over raids grows appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.
Many have been actively engaging and organizing against federal immigration enforcement and the killings of Americans at the hands of immigration agents.
It’s been true in Minneapolis, where thousands have taken to the streets. And it’s spread from there to Detroit and many other places across the nation.
Scenes in America this past weekend harkened back to the civil rights era with people taking to the streets, students walking out of class, and businesses shutting down for a national day of protest against ICE and the Trump administration.
All these actions have us wondering: How effective have anti-ICE protests been so far? And when exactly is a protest successful?
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is a professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She’s also the author of “A Protest History of the United States.” She joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.
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The impact of the recent series of fatal encounters between some Minnesota residents and agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement is being felt in metro Detroit.
Several law enforcement officials in the region say they do not want to cooperate with deportation operations conducted by ICE.
That includes Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer.
She says Washtenaw sheriff deputies and ICE agents often have very different agendas.
Listen: Washtenaw County Sheriff says cooperating with ICE puts community members at risk
The following interview has been edited for clarity.
Alyshia Dyer: It really puts [police] in conflict with the communities they serve. It’s our responsibility, regardless of immigration status, to keep everyone safe. We need our local communities to trust us. As local police, we rely on the public trust that we build in the communities we serve. The way that immigration enforcement operates is completely different.
And it’s not our duty or responsibility to enforce federal immigration law. We don’t ask about immigration status. We don’t get involved in immigration matters. And especially in this climate, where people are so afraid to even leave their homes, we don’t want to be involved in that.
Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: As a lay person, it has always seemed to me that federal issues would take precedence over local policing matters. Is it legal for your deputies to basically avoid helping a federal agency like ICE?
AD: Absolutely. The Michigan constitution, as well as our state and local laws, make it very clear that we have a duty to protect and serve all residents of the county. We take an oath as well to do that. And it doesn’t say only if they have valid immigration status. Constitutional rights apply to everyone. And we are not trained nor given resources, nor is it our priority, to look into immigration matters.
The 287 (g) program [which allows local police to act as immigration enforcement agents] is a voluntary program. It is a choice to enter into that program or not. There is no mandate that we have to do it. So we are exercising our discretion and not entering into that agreement. We are going to stay focused on local public safety issues. And, honestly, our resources are already stretched thin.
QK: I would imagine there’s additional costs, financial and otherwise, that a department has to bear when it is working with ICE.
AD: There have been a number of rulings that basically say holding somebody in jail after a judge has ordered them released so that ICE can come pick them up, is a serious issue. It raises liability concerns for the county. Agencies have been sued for doing that. And it’s not our responsibility.
My responsibility as sheriff is to make sure we enforce local and state law, keep the county safe and run the county jail. If a judge orders somebody to be released, they are to be released. And it is not a mandate nor, in my opinion, good practice to keep them in jail pending transfer to immigration officials. If we were to hold somebody in jail solely based on an immigration detainer, which is not a judicial warrant, and we keep them past the release date, then we risk liability for the entire county.
QK: At this point many people have seen the viral videos of ICE tactics in action. They seem to create fear, even among those who have not broken the law. Victims are afraid to call 911, witnesses don’t want to talk, crimes are not reported. Beyond not cooperating with ICE, what can be done by departments like yours to try to restore that trust with the public?
AD: What we have done is made it very clear to the community where our values lie and that we will not be working with ICE. We have maintained a clear separation. We also do not ask about immigration status. So when anyone needs help, they can call 911. But because the national administration remains obsessed with mass deportation, it’s hard for local police. People are fearful. And I have no doubt in my mind that people are not calling the police when they need help because they’re worried. Regardless of what we say, there’s still that fear.
People have confused us with ICE. Them wearing masks and hiding their identities and the tactics they use are not best practices. That’s not what we do at the local level. We try really hard to support all residents. We work closely with immigrant rights groups. I’ve done a number of education town halls, making sure people understand their rights.
Honestly, it puts local law enforcement in an impossible situation. They need the trust of the public to effectively do their job. And when federal immigration agents come in and take someone and detain them, they’re not dealing with the aftermath, right? I’ve had residents in Washtenaw County, people with legal status or who are citizens even, that have said, “Should I carry a birth certificate with me? Is it safe to send my kid to school?”
It is really hard to be sheriff and be responsible for the public safety of a county and know that, unfortunately, there are people in the county that are going to be targeted by immigration enforcement, sometimes solely for just existing. This idea that they’re only going after people with violent felonies or serious criminal records is not true. I have seen the opposite. I’ve also seen cases where they have mistaken someone because they were Latino and they assumed that they were someone undocumented.
Over the years law enforcement has pushed back on that. It’s racial profiling. Seeing these situations play out, not just in Washtenaw County but across the country, is really troubling. I think that local law enforcement and sheriffs have a responsibility to be a voice of reason and assure the public that we are not going to operate how ICE is operating.
QK: You’d raised concerns recently on your personal Facebook page about ICE targeting parents at school bus stops and reportedly detaining a mother in front of her child. Spokespeople for ICE dispute that account, calling it one of the “lies” that put their agents at risk. You later said the report you posted was inaccurate. But you say that doesn’t diminish your worries about how ICE typically operates now compared to a few years ago.
AD: There was a point in time where there was a separation between just focusing on enforcement removal operations and the work that Homeland Security was doing. And there were important things they were doing involving human trafficking and ensuring survivors of violent crime could get citizenship status. Now all of the resources are focused on deporting as many people as possible. I know people that have since retired from some of these agencies, that have said there’s a pressure for quotas. They are told, “You need to deport this many people a month.” That is abhorrent. That’s also a problem.
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Detroit City Council Member Mary Waters is proposing an ordinance that would limit the ability of law enforcement to cover their faces while they’re on the job. The proposed ordinance states that no local, state, or federal law enforcement agency would be permitted to wear masks or any other facial covering while performing their duties in the City of Detroit.
Member Waters said in a statement the she will not have a city where a masked mob can enforce the law with impunity. The ordinance would be named the “Alex Pretti Detroit No Masks” ordinance in honor of the Minnesota man who was killed by ICE agents last week. Council is expect to refer the proposal to committee in the next coming weeks.
-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley
If you noticed that there is less salt on the ground following the wintery mix we received the past few weeks, you’re not wrong. The above average snowfall is causing a lot of local governments to use more salt than they have in years.
But because the temperatures are too low for the salt to work, they are rationing salt to the most critical routes. Salt becomes less effective in temperatures below 15 degrees according to University of Michigan Climate experts. And in extreme cold temperatures some trucks switch from salt to sand because it provides more traction without relying on melting.
Some areas are alerting that the snow may not be plowed right away because removing the snow can create icy conditions and decrease the traction provided by fresh snowfall. Cities like Lansing issued a notice to residents that they will only focus on critical areas.
And for those tired of the cold, warmer days are ahead after this weekend. The extreme cold is expected to last through Jan. 30 but according to the National Weather Service warmer air will move in for the weekend.
What does the warmer air mean? The temperatures across the state will rise into the low 20s. It will be 28 in Detroit and 26 in Lansing on Tuesday. It may not seem like a lot but I promise Spring is coming…eventually.
And starting today til Feb. 21, the Detroit Artists Market is hosting their new viewing of the Process + Perception Exhibition. It’s a group exhibition of 2D and 3D process-driven artworks that’s created through layered materials and imagery. Organizers say the viewing will range from quiet and contemplative to intense and overwhelming.
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A Michigan lawmaker is pushing to block state-owned property from being sold or repurposed for federal detention facilities after 32 people, including children, died nationwide in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2025.
The post Michigan lawmaker proposes ban on state property being used for ICE detention appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.
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