Bay City tables immigration-enforcement resolution after split public comment

The Bay City City Commission on March 3 voted to table a resolution from Commissioner Zach Runberg that would have directed local officials not to deputize city public-safety personnel for federal immigration enforcement. Commissioner Runberg moved to table the item to the commission's next meeting; the motion to table carried by roll call.

The resolution drew lengthy public comment both in favor and opposed. Supporters urged commissioners to shield the city's budget and residents from legal exposure and to preserve trust between police and immigrant communities. Opponents said the city could lose state and federal aid and that local public-safety needs could be harmed.

The resolution’s sponsor, Commissioner Zach Runberg, told the commission he brought the item to give the city a way to prepare its public-safety leadership and budget should federal deputization authorities expand. He moved to table the item to an upcoming meeting so all commissioners could participate.

Why this matters: supporters repeatedly warned that local participation in federal immigration operations often triggers lawsuits and costs municipalities millions. Several speakers cited court decisions and legal risk; others said the practical effect would be to divert local officers from core public-safety duties.

Public comment highlights:

- Paul Kleinau, a Second Ward resident, urged commissioners to act now: “We can't ignore this issue,” he said, arguing the city should avoid becoming an unpaid arm of federal immigration enforcement. He warned that local officers “are not federal agents.”

- Kayla Harper, a resident who cited federal case law during public comment, told the commission: “If you vote against this resolution, you are not just exposing Bay City to potential lawsuits, you are putting yourselves at personal risk.” Harper read summaries of federal and state court rulings she said showed local liability for immigration detainers.

- Tamara Graham, speaking for herself and her 78-year-old mother, said the resolution would keep local officers focused on neighborhood crime and preserve trust: “Public safety in Bay City must remain the top priority of local law enforcement,” she said.

- Denise Davidson, citing state and federal grant lines, opposed the resolution and warned that the city could lose funding: she listed Community Development Block Grant money and other programs as examples and said reduced grants could force cuts to police and fire staffing.

Other residents and local elected figures also spoke on both sides of the proposal, including high‑profile testimony about the financial and human‑rights consequences of local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Commission discussion and next steps:

Commissioners debated whether to take action immediately or wait until all members could be present. Commissioner Hillacre objected to tabling without a clear reason and said the community interest made the item worthy of a full vote; other commissioners said more deliberation was appropriate and supported deferral to the next meeting so the full body could weigh public input and legal analysis. The motion to table was moved by Commissioner Runberg and seconded; the clerk recorded the motion as carried by roll call and the item will return to the commission at the next regular meeting for further consideration.

Votes at a glance: the meeting record shows the commission took the following formal actions (summary):

- Adoption of the agenda as amended — motion adopted (roll call). - Consent agenda — adopted (roll call). - Contract award: Shaw Contracting Bay City for McKinley Avenue reconstruction, $3,088,959.31 — adopted (roll call). - Ordinance amendment establishing a Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission — adopted (roll call). - Resolution supporting application to Bay Area Community Foundation for $14,000 (lighting on 700 block of Midland Street) — adopted; Commissioner Prince abstained. - Resolution creating a working committee to study and recommend actions for the Department of Public Safety (Commissioner Prince) — adopted. - Immigration-enforcement resolution (Commissioner Runberg) — motion to table to the next meeting (mover: Commissioner Runberg; second: Commissioner Shalabaugh); motion carried by roll call. - Resolution directing bids and funding identification for repair of Station No. 5’s roof and interior (Commissioner Charlebois) — adopted as amended. - Resolution censuring Commissioner Andrea Bernie Overshaw (added to the agenda earlier) — read into the record and taken up; a censure motion appeared on the floor and was voted on during the meeting record.

The commission clerk's roll calls and minutes will supply official vote counts and item numbers when the minutes are published.

Ending: The immigration item will return to the commission at its next meeting for deliberation and a possible vote; members requested additional legal analysis and time to consider the wide-ranging public comments recorded March 3.