As it turns out, the upending of immigration policy isn’t just a Washington thing. It extends to pretty much everywhere in this country we humans call home. In one case on Detroit’s Southwest side, it even resulted in a cop snitching on a woman who was an immigrant, violating police policy.

Outlier Media reports that the woman walked into the Detroit Police’s Fourth Precinct station to report a crime, and while there she volunteered information about her immigration status. Days later, she went to the Third Precinct to pick up a copy of the police report, and an officer at that station reported her to federal immigration officials. However, the act was in violation of department policy.

“Our internal review determined that the officer’s actions did not align with departmental policy. The officer has received corrective feedback,” a Detroit Police spokesperson wrote to Outlier in an e-mail. The DPD’s policy is that it does not enforce federal immigration law. However, if someone is in custody and there is an ICE detainer, they will hold that person to be picked up by the agency.

In this case though, no such detainer existed and the woman was not picked up by ICE. Her complaint, an alleged extortion attempt, is still open and under investigation.

Detroit, while majority Black, has many diverse areas, and its Southwest side has for many generations been home to immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries, as well as other nations. Areas like these have been targets of ICE since the Trump administration announced its heavy-handed policy on rounding up undocumented migrants, whom they target as violent criminals. Most recently, even resident aliens have been vulnerable to deportation without regard to their legal status. 

Many cities’ policies on immigration, including Boston, Chicago, and New York, mirror that of Detroit in that they do not do ICE’s dirty work for them. Boston’s Trust Act, for example, allows police there to interact with ICE on human trafficking, drug crime and other public safety issues “while refraining from involvement in civil immigration enforcement.”

It’s the same in the Motor City. Gabriela Santiago-Romero, a city council member whose district includes Southwest Detroit and who sits on its immigration task force, told Outlier she spoke with the DPD and they confirmed that with her.

“They mentioned that, no, this is not their policy,” she said. “This is not how they conduct business, and that the officer should have never called ICE.”


Meanwhile, Documented has offered some critical guidelines for stopping a deportation for those who are at risk of falling into ICE’s clutches. It is not legal advice and people dealing with immigration officials should consult an immigration attorney, however the suggestions can help when confronted with the issue.

Among them are:

  • Being able to prove consistent presence in the United States for at least 10 years, by having documents like rent receipts or mortgage payments, marriage or birth certificates and medical records.
  • Having no record of conviction for serious crimes.
  • Documentation that a deportation could cause hardship to a family member, like an ailing spouse, unmarried child or a parent who needs care.

Permanent resident aliens must be able to prove residency in the United States for at least five years, and have lived in the country for at least seven years with no criminal convictions.

The process to cancel a deportation also requires filling out specific forms. The fees for each are $100, plus a $30 biometrics fee.

The form should list the immigration court that ordered the deportation. If you are detained,  include the detention center’s address. 

Several agencies like the Legal Aid Society, Immigrant Justice Corps, and others can help if you are facing deportation. Each has staff that can be of assistance in cases in which ICE is disrupting communities. Read more at Documented.

MORE FROM THE URL MEDIA NETWORK