Protesters Demand Defunding of ICE at Michigan Senators’ Offices
In Detroit, a small gathering of protesters urged Michigan’s U.S. Senators to withdraw funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The calls for defunding intensified following the recent deaths of two citizens, poet Renee Good and Veterans Administration nurse Alex Pretti, at the hands of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
The Department of Homeland Security has stated the shootings were acts of self-defense, yet skepticism remains among state and local law enforcement about the federal investigation’s thoroughness. The federal government faces a potential partial shutdown if the Senate does not approve a funding package that includes resources for the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for ICE and Customs and Border Protection.
Michigan Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, both aligned with the Democratic Party, have expressed opposition to the current spending package. They, alongside other Senate Democrats, are calling for specific reforms before considering their support.
At a protest outside Senator Peters’ office, retired educator Sherri Masson emphasized the need for decisive action. “Even if it means a government shutdown because we are not interested in just retraining ICE or restrictions you might put on ICE. We believe that ICE should not be funded at all,” Masson declared.
The proposed immigration enforcement reforms include banning agents from wearing masks, mandating visible identification, and requiring valid judicial warrants for home entry. These demands follow reports of reduced standards for ICE agents to enter homes, potentially infringing on Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.
Senator Slotkin referenced incidents in Minneapolis on the Senate floor, citing instances of agents detaining a citizen in his underwear during a raid, arresting clergy at an airport protest, and using tear gas on crowds.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem continues to defend the agency’s tactics, asserting their necessity for national safety and citing the criminal backgrounds of some arrestees. “ICE officers are sworn federal law enforcement officers who operate within the confines of the law,” the agency stated.
A federal judge in Minnesota recently commented on nearly 100 violations by ICE concerning court orders in the state’s immigration crackdown. Slotkin, who initially supported Noem’s confirmation, has now called for her resignation, aligning with Senate Democrats’ stance on the funding vote.
Protest organizers are pressing Senators to advocate for a retraction of the $170 million allocated to the Department of Homeland Security through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Alyssa Moore from End Gun Violence Michigan emphasized the significance of withholding these funds to curb rights violations.
“That funding is ultimately what is enabling the mass occupation and violence that we are currently seeing in the U.S. So, if our senators are willing to take a stand and say ‘No, we’re not voting on this and we are going to all come together to make sure that we are able to remove some of that funding from ICE, to defund ICE,’ then we have the opportunity to save a lot of lives in the process.”
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