ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — Ann Arbor leaders are working to introduce a resolution to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from entering some city property spaces.
Watch Simon Shaykhet's video report:
Mayor Chris Taylor in an exclusive interview with 7 News Detroit said a resolution will be introduced Monday to keep ICE out of non-public spaces on city property. That would include anywhere key card access is needed, certain offices, parts of police and fire stations and city-owned lots that could be used for operational staging.
The resolution is being introduced after people were detained by ICE in nearby Ypsilanti earlier this week.
The sheriff of Washtenaw County is changing course after talking with ICE and confirming reports of people being detained at an Ypsilanti bus stops were false. Sheriff Alyshia Dyer took to social media to clear the air after first making critical comments about ICE activity on Tuesday.
Related coverage: Sheriff clarifies post after talking to ICE regarding Ypsi bus stop reports
On Thursday, Dyer said she had a conversation with ICE leadership, who told her they did not do any enforcement on school grounds or at school bus stops, nor will they. ICE agreed to better communicate with the sheriff in the future when they have activity in Washtenaw County.
“I’m glad moving forward that we have an established communication channel when needed with leadership within immigration enforcement because there was so much fear and calls we were getting from the schools. I felt it was really important to make sure the public knew that they were not on any school property and they weren't on school grounds," Dyer said. "And then all of the reports that they were near bus stops or there was enforcement activity happening near communities where kids might be getting dropped off, I felt that it's important to validate that those were concerns.”
Watch our full interview with Sheriff Alyshia Dyer below:
Dyer says she still believes in the importance of communication, which is why she returned to social media to update the public again.
ICE told 7 News Detroit while they did detain several people in Ypsilanti on Tuesday who immigrated illegally, there were no kids present.
Watch our previous report about the ICE activity in Ypsilanti below:
When asked about ICE saying they are removing those who are in the U.S. illegally, the mayor of Ann Arbor responded saying “that is not what they are doing.” Ann Arbor leaders are aiming to restrict agents in parts of city property spaces.
“If a member of the public can come into the space like a lobby for example, we don’t have the legal authority to restrict access to that. But backstage and offices in the like, those are areas where the public cannot come because those are non-public areas,” Taylor said.
Some are in support of more limitations on ICE.
“Yes I do because of the fact that they’re killing people now. Before two people got killed, it was a different story with me,” Anthony James said.
But critical of that concept is state Sen. Jim Runestad of White Lake.
“The federal government has the right, these federal enforcement officers have the right to go anywhere in order to do their jobs,” Runestad said.
Legal expert and former federal Prosecutor Adam Wright shared his take on the planned resolution.
“If it is only relating to non-public areas, area that you or I wouldn’t be able to get into without some special reason, the court is more likely to find that as the government simply managing its own property,” Wright said.
The Washtenaw County sheriff says when addressing issues, she would be more concise in the future before all facts come to light.
