Oakland County, Mich. – Some residents in Oakland County were left frustrated and confused Monday night after being barred from both Democratic and Republican caucus meetings held by the County Board of Commissioners.
The controversy centers on a closed-door session focused on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement resolution and on whether the move violated Michigan’s Open Meetings Act.
The dispute began during a public meeting, when Commissioner Angela Powell announced the next item on the agenda.
“Our next item on agenda is a closed session, to consult with our attorneys to discuss an opinion related to the Board of Commissioners Resolution 2026-6227,” said Powell.
That resolution, according to documents from the Oakland County Commissioners’ website, includes banning ICE and other federal agencies from operating in county buildings.
Members of the majority or Democratic caucus planned to go into closed session with the county attorney to discuss a written legal opinion on the resolution. But not everyone on the board agreed with that plan.
Commissioner Charlie Cavell, a Democrat who is not part of the caucus, questioned whether the move complied with state open meetings laws and told residents who had come to follow the commissioners that they were leaving the room.
As Democratic caucus members left the public meeting room to head to their closed session, several residents followed them upstairs, encouraged by Cavell’s comments. Once they reached the meeting location, they were denied entry.
Community organizer Mike Flores said the decision clashed with how residents wanted to operate.
“You know, one of the things that differentiates Oakland County residents is that they’re really engaged with our local government, Flores said.
Cavell echoed that concern, arguing that even if the move were technically legal, it sends the wrong message:
“Again, it undercuts, even if they say it’s legal somehow, it undercuts the spirit of democracy and people’s faith in their leaders, especially something so important as helping immigrants in our community right now,” Cavell said.
Less than 30 minutes after the Democratic caucus concluded its closed-door session with the county attorney, Republican commissioners held one of their own.
Those in attendance described feeling slighted by both parties.
Local 4 reached out to an attorney not from the county on the topic, who said the situation seems peculiar.
“I don’t think it’s a violation of the Open Meetings Act to meet with your counsel, but I don’t understand how you meet separately, depending on the party,” Herschel Fink, a First Amendment and media law attorney, said.
Commissioners and the county attorney did not address the media directly after the meetings.
However, the board’s communications officer released a written statement explaining their position.
“On March 11, 2026, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners majority caucus went into a closed session to meet with its attorneys to consider and discuss a written legal opinion related to Resolution 2026-6227, which opinion is specifically exempt and protected from discussion or disclosure under the attorney-client privilege and Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act MCL 15.268(h).
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners minority caucus also met in a closed-door meeting with its attorneys to discuss and consider the same legal opinion, although the minority caucus is not subject to the Open Meetings Act.”
Oakland County Board of Commissioners