At a recent Mount Pleasant City Commission meeting, commissioners introduced the idea of placing the city under an Immigrant Trust Act, more commonly known as a sanctuary city policy.
Immigrant Trust Act laws vary from area to area, but generally limit the ability in how local law enforcement's can collaborate with federal immigration dealings without a warrant.
Commissioner Ryon Skalitzky was the one to first mention the Immigrant Trust Act during the meeting, referring to Mount Pleasant's recent declaration as a City of Peace to breach the topic.
"I have done some digging as far as the Immigrant Trust Act goes," Skalitzky said. "And some policies have been picked up by some states and some cities across the country to where it is more or less a promise from the city to support its residents," Skalitzky said during the meeting.
City Mayor Boomer Wingard agreed to hold a work session to discuss a sanctuary city policy in Mount Pleasant and what it would look like after doing more research. He also stated this is a topic that other commissioners have mentioned in the past, as well as being something city residents have brought to him as well.
A tentative date of Nov. 10 was set to have the work session, to give commission members enough time to look into different Trust Act policies as well as see what policies are already in place for Mount Pleasant.
"It's important. And apart from the fact that we do have a large or a growing immigrant population here, especially at CMU. I think that this is something we can take a look at," said Vice-Mayor Maureen Eke during the meeting.
"It's not necessarily law enforcement, but it brushes against law enforcement, too. And we want law enforcement to at least be cognizant of what is happening. At least let us know what is happening. So, I would hope that [Police Chief and Director of Public Safety Paul Lauria] would be part of this conversation, however we design it," she continued.
In Connecticut, local law enforcement cannot arrest or give federal immigration authorities access to a suspected illegal immigrant in custody unless there is a warrant, subpoena, felony, or match on the Federal Terrorist Screening Database.
Bills proposed in New Jersey last year would expand the above to include a restriction on what information public spaces can ask for if unneeded to deliver service. This would mean places such as libraries, schools, healthcare facilities, and shelters could not ask for citizenship, SSN, or immigration status unless deemed necessary. However, this has not been signed into law.
The city commission meeting can be viewed on the MtPleasantMI Youtube page, with the discussion on the Immigrant Trust Act beginning at the 1:52 mark.
