Last week, Senators Aric Nesbitt and Tom Barret introduced a pair of bills to prevent any local government from creating policies to protect undocumented immigrants. Here is Nesbitt explaining why.
“I think it's very important that federal state local county law enforcement are able to communicate with everybody vertically and up and down and that's when they don't communicate when they don't cooperate together I think this is where things fall through the cracks and families are harmed.”
Nesbitt says the bill would make it easier for a local government to work with Immigration Customs Enforcement.
“These bills will increase the state’s ability to assist federal officials and penalize those who purposely prevent law enforcement from doing their job. Law enforcement’s job is to protect the citizens and enforce the laws of the United States of America.”
Last winter, Kent County Sheriff, Michelle LaJoye Young said the Sheriff’s Department would end its practice of holding immigrants for ICE unless a judicial warrant was present. Ingham and Kalamazoo counties also have similar policies in place. Nesbitt says he hopes the bill would put an end to these practices.
Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU News.
