Resident urges Ferndale to reject 287(g) agreements with ICE, citing civil-rights concerns

Roseanne Fried, a Ferndale resident, addressed the council on Aug. 12 urging the city not to sign 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Fried said 287(g) allows ICE to delegate immigration-enforcement authority to local officers and that such agreements have produced racial profiling, civil-rights violations and the isolation of immigrant communities in other jurisdictions.

Fried cited local examples in Southeast Michigan — including Taylor, Monroe County, Jackson and Genesee County sheriff’s offices — as places that had entered 287(g) agreements. She said the agreements shift costs to local municipalities because local agencies pay employees’ time when acting on ICE business, and she argued those agreements undermine community trust and lead immigrants to avoid public events and services.

Fried urged Ferndale to avoid agreements that would delegate enforcement to local agencies and asked the council to protect the city’s stated vision as a diverse and welcoming community. Her remarks were made during the public comment period; the council did not take formal action on the statement at the meeting.

Why this matters: 287(g) agreements have been contentious nationally and locally because they blend federal immigration enforcement with local policing, with implications for civil-rights protections, local budgets and community trust.