ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Community members gathered at Liberty Plaza in Ann Arbor on Monday to honor Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old VA nurse killed by federal agents during a protest over the weekend, as Washtenaw County officials implement new restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.
The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Wednesday to pass a resolution prohibiting ICE from conducting enforcement activity on county property without a warrant or court order.
“With the killing of Renee Good and now Alex Pretti, this is something sadly that we think is needed and necessary to protect our people here and our employees and do the county’s part to demonstrate this is not acceptable or within the bounds of decent government,” said District 7 Commissioner Andy LaBarre.
--> Vigil honoring Renee Good draws community support in Ann Arbor
The resolution prevents all county employees from voluntarily cooperating with ICE, except when required by law.
“I’m very proud to say after we passed that resolution, our county sheriff acted immediately and sent out a memo to all of her sheriff’s deputies to say we’re enforcing this on day one,” said District 8 Commissioner Yousef Rabhi.
The resolution states ICE agents “shall not be permitted to enter, remain in, or conduct civil immigration enforcement activities within any Washtenaw County–owned, leased, or operated building, facility, or property”, including parking areas.
The resolution also formally opposes the use of masks or face coverings by ICE officers “except in circumstances where face coverings are required for verified public health or safety reasons.”
LaBarre said ICE has previously subpoenaed the county, requesting documentation regarding the Washtenaw County Identification (ID) Card Program, which provides a photo ID to residents age 11 and older as an alternative to a state driver’s license.
“We’ve had ICE subpoena us twice last spring, looking for documents both for our I-9 federal forms and most importantly for our county ID program,” LaBarre said. “We have not provided those documents for the county ID program. ICE doesn’t have any reason or business with them.”
Movement for Immigrant Rights Action (MIRA), a local activist group, helped craft the resolution. Mary Anne Perrone, an activist with MIRA, said the organization is calling for other local governments to adopt similar measures.
“It’s basically a way to tell ICE that we will not cooperate with the illegal and cruel practices they have been doing,” Perrone said.
Officials in other cities, including Detroit, are looking into ways to restrict ICE activity on city property. Local 4 reached out to Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor’s office to ask if similar action is being considered at the city level, and did not immediately hear back.
County commissioners say they’ve received an outpouring of support for the resolution from community members.
“They want to figure out what can communities do, to apply under the law but block this sort of activity to the fullest extent possible,” LaBarre said.
“Anywhere we can protect people and allow them to be safe within their own communities is a win,” said protester Sarah Shair.