Romulus — The prospect of an ICE facility in the city led to a City Council resolution Monday to oppose the plan and someone to throw a punch at an anti-ICE protest outside before the meeting.
The City Council unanimously passed a resolution Monday night opposing plans for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in the city.
“The message is clear, and if this doesn’t really send a strong message about how we feel, I don’t know what will,” said Mayor Pro Tem Tina Talley.
ICE has said it plans to create an immigrant detention facility in Romulus, home to Detroit Metro Airport. Council members said a facility would strain public resources, and could decrease property values and deter business investments in the area.
Mayor Robert McCraight vowed the city would not issue a permit or certificate of occupancy for the facility while he’s in office.“I think it’s incredibly irresponsible for the federal government to put the burden like this on a smaller, underserved, overburdened community right now,” he said.
Before the council action, hundreds of people crowded the parking lot, filling at least three parking lots before a demonstration against a planned ICE facility began. Participants raised signs with “ICE out” and “Abolish ICE,” and chanted “Shut it down” and “ICE out.”
A handful of counterprotesters supporting ICE drew the ire of demonstrators. Dozens of people surrounded them, shouting “Nazi” and “Go home, fascists!”
Among the counterprotesters was Jayden Scott, who at one point fell to the ground, and two police officers helped him away from the crowd. It’s not clear whether he fell or was pushed. Someone in the crowd lobbed a punch at Scott. It was unclear if it landed or if Scott was hurt by the punch.
As he was led away by the officers, Scott shouted, “America stands with ICE!”
Scott has called ICE protesters in Minnesota “terrorists” and said during an anti-ICE gathering there “we executed one of you yesterday,” according to media reports, in apparent reference to Renee Good, who was shot and killed by ICE agents in January.
Opponents of the plan for the detention center have decried the federal government allocating tens of billions of dollars to ICE while taking funding out of programs they say serve the public good.
“I don’t want a single one of my tax money going to an agency that terrorizes neighborhoods, masked and without warrants,” said Democratic state Rep. Dylan Wegela, who represents the 26th House District, including Romulus, in remarks to the rowd.
A few dozen people wearing red knit hats with tassels peppered the crowd, a callback to caps made by Norwegians in the 1940s to protest Nazi occupation of the country.
As a fundraiser for immigrant aid organizations, a Minneapolis yarn shop created a knitting pattern for a design of the hats. The cap’s popularity has re-emerged this winter as a form of protest against ICE’s increased presence in cities. Sales of the pattern have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to news reports.
“It’s frustrating that this is all we can do, but this is good,” said Andrea Schreiber, 66, who came from Oakland County for the protest.
“It’s the right demographic. Old knitters are cranky, and we’ve got time,” said her friend, Shelli Weisberg, who also lives in Oakland County.
The building in Romulus that reportedly will become the detention facility for ICE, located along Interstate 275 between Ecorse and Wick roads, is one of dozens of facilities Bloomberg has reported the agency plans to turn into detention centers. The facility at 7525 Cogswell Street comprises more than a quarter-million square feet.
Signs about the Department of Homeland Security building regulations “governing conduct on federal property” were recently posted on the front doors and windows at the facility, which is just off an industrial stretch of road, across the street from an auto repair shop and a few miles from residential neighborhoods.
President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a priority of his second term. The increased presence of ICE in some U.S. cities has led to widespread protests, most notable in Minnesota. ICE’s presence in Minneapolis has sparked backlash, especially after ICE agents killed Good and Alex Pretti in January.
Robert Pawlowski said during public comments at the council meeting he’s a college student and lifelong Downriver resident, and said he grew up around a lot of people who were marginalized or came from other countries. Pawlowski thanked McCraight and the City Council members for passing their resolution opposing the detention facility, and said everyone deserves to benefit from the American dream, no matter where they come from.
“Liberty and justice for all, and you just did that tonight. Liberty, justice and freedom for everyone in this country,” Pawlowski said.
jcardi@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Romulus council rejects ICE facility; earlier, protest draws fisticuffs
Reporting by Julia Cardi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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