Bay City Commissioner Moves to Limit Local Involvement in Federal Immigration Enforcement
In an effort to bolster community trust and ensure public safety, Bay City Commissioner Christopher Runberg plans to propose a resolution that would prohibit the use of city funds for federal immigration law enforcement. This initiative seeks to reassure residents that cooperation with local law enforcement is safe, regardless of their immigration status.
“With this protection, they’ll know that they can still report crimes, they can still serve as a witness if there’s a crime that’s committed, and they can still seek emergency services that are offered through our various community organizations and programs,” Runberg explained.
The proposal emerges in the wake of a previously issued memo from the Trump administration, which temporarily halted federal funding in January. This unexpected freeze significantly disrupted city services and prompted a reevaluation of resource allocation, according to Runberg. You can view the original memo here.
Runberg clarified that the resolution is not intended to transform Bay City into a sanctuary city. Instead, it aims to formally establish that local resources should not be utilized for federal immigration law enforcement, though cooperation with federal agents remains possible in cases involving criminal activity.
The proposal has been met with widespread support from the community. “People in the city so far have been very supportive of it, and feel it’s not only a necessary thing to do for public safety, but also the morally right thing to do,” Runberg stated.
Runberg intends to present the resolution at the upcoming City Commission meeting scheduled for February 17.
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