Organizers from Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE encouraged their members to demand Kent County officials declare it a “Sanctuary County” and prevent the sheriff’s office from cooperating with any federal law enforcement agency seeking to surveil, arrest, detain or deport undocumented immigrants.
“Take action to prevent the federal government from rounding up people that have not done any crimes.”
Christian Kessler spoke in favor of a sanctuary designation.
”Coming to this country and not being documented is a civil infraction that has resulted because our immigration system is broken.”
In opposition, the Kent County GOP released a petition with nearly 700 resident signatures opposing sanctuary policies saying they provide haven for lawbreakers and take resources from people in the county legally who need help, including immigrants.
Howard Merrill agrees with that.
“We’re going to spend an awful lot of our money on housing, clothing and food for these people, and medical attention. They’re not citizens. In my opinion they need to go back where they came from and then return legally”
The county administrator explained that immigration is a federal issue, and the commission has a longstanding policy rejecting resolutions the county doesn’t have legal authority to enforce.
