DETROIT (WXYZ) — About 200 people gathered on Detroit's west side Friday to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection actions, saying immigration enforcement is tearing families apart and targeting the wrong people.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
The demonstration at 7 Mile and Telegraph drew protesters to a neighborhood many African immigrants call home, as part of hundreds of protests across the country following unrest in Minnesota and the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents.
WEB EXTRA: Chopper video of ICE protest in Detroit on January 30
"It is very rare that communities center Black migrants. So for us to be here in Black Detroit, centering other Black folks living here that have an accent, so we feel seen," Dr. Seydi Sarr said.
Some protesters say they've been personally impacted by the Trump administration's mass deportation effort.
"They take one of my nephew yesterday... and they take my brother the day before yesterday," Amady Gueye said.
"We will not continue on with business as usual. We will not look away while you terrorize our communities," Sarah Williams said.
Nabih Ayad from the Arab-American Civil Rights League described disturbing scenes involving children.
"A five-year-old is left crying while his parents are being arrested," Ayad said. "Children being ripped from their parents while they're having seizures."
Earlier Friday, leaders from civic, faith, and labor communities, along with NAACP Detroit Branch President Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, called for accountability measures, including no new funding for ICE, body cameras for agents, and an end to federal immunity.
WEB EXTRA: NAACP Detroit Branch holds press conference following recent ICE actions
"The current ICE policies exercised in America remind us of 1939 Germany, today's Russia, China, North Korea, and the old southern America... as they attacked, lynched, and kidnapped African Americans simply trying to register people to vote," Anthony said.
The group is urging politicians on both sides of the aisle to take action.
"Several of the Democrats have stood up and said something about it," Anthony said. "But it's the Republicans we have not heard from."
However, Sunny Reddy, co-chair of the Michigan GOP and himself an immigrant, sees the situation differently.
"I strongly support peaceful protest — there's no question about it — but at the same time let ICE do their job," Reddy said. "I strongly support ICE… they're not targeting an individual, they're targeting people who violated the law."
"If someone is going against the law, even if they are officers, they should be investigated, and there should be action taken against them," Reddy said.
Statement from Vance Patrick, Chair, Oakland County Republican Party:
Oakland County residents are witnessing yet another example of the radical left putting political theatrics ahead of the rule of law. The so-called “nationwide shutdown” planned for today is nothing more than a petty, childish temper tantrum over the federal government enforcing immigration laws that are already on the books and were duly passed by Congress.
This kind of behavior is sadly familiar. We saw it in 2020 with the reckless “defund the police” movement, when progressive extremists openly sided with chaos over public safety. The results were predictable and damaging: rising crime, demoralized law enforcement, and communities left less safe. Now, the same radical mindset is reappearing, this time attacking the lawful enforcement of our immigration system.
Let’s be clear. Enforcing the law is not radical. Ignoring it is. Encouraging shutdowns, disruption, and disorder because you disagree with existing law is not principled protest; it is lawlessness dressed up as activism. Democrats continue to signal that rules only matter when they align with their ideological preferences.
Voters across Michigan, and especially here in Oakland County, are stunned by how quickly this extreme worldview is becoming mainstream within today’s Democratic Party. Working families want stability, safety, and a government that takes its responsibilities seriously. They do not want childish stunts that undermine confidence in our institutions and disrupt the lives of people who are just trying to go to work and provide for their families.
The Oakland County Republican Party stands firmly for the rule of law, public order, and responsible governance. We will continue to call out radicalism wherever it appears and advocate for policies rooted in common sense, accountability, and respect for the laws that hold our nation together.
ICE and Customs and Border Protection fall under the Department of Homeland Security. I reached out to DHS for comment, but received no response.
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