Last Saturday, dozens of local immigration advocates from GR Rapids Response to ICE and Movimiento Cosecha showed up at the headquarters of the Kent County Jail to protest the Sherriff’s involvement with Immigration Customs Enforcement.
“ICE, ICE shame on you! Immigrants have families too. ICE, ICE shame on you! Immigrants have families too!”
And it was the very next day that Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye Young released a statement explaining that ICE had decided not to renew the contract with the department and so it would be expiring at the end of September.
In January of this year, the department adjusted their protocols requiring ICE Customs to provide a warrant signed by a judge if they wanted the Kent County jail to hold any detainees for them.
In LaJoye-Young’s statement she says the department has evaluated the policy and determined it to be effective in protecting the community and in the safe and fair handling of persons of interest to ICE.
Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU News
