Grand Rapids hears widespread calls for sanctuary designation and reviews GRPD policy on immigration enforcement

City Manager: the commission received a report on the Grand Rapids Police Department(GRPD) policy governing interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and with undocumented residents, and dozens of residents urged the commission to declare Grand Rapids a sanctuary city and to adopt enforceable limits on local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The city manager told the commission the cityenacted an "equal services policy" in 2017 and that the GRPD later adopted a more prescriptive foreign-national policy after a 2018 incident. "The department will not inquire into a person's immigration status when a person seeks police services such as filing complaints or reporting incidents to 911," the city manager said in the meeting packet presentation. The manager added the city is "focused on safety and not status."

Why it matters: speakers at the meeting said federal executive orders and enforcement plans have created immediate fear in immigrant households, affecting school attendance, health and daily life. Public commenters pressed the commission for a formal sanctuary-city declaration and for binding local rules that would prevent GRPD and other city employees from assisting ICE operations.

Residents described acute impacts. "We are living in constant chaos," Jasmine Ryder, a Third Ward resident, said of families affected by separate infrastructure damage and broader fears. Several school staff and nonprofit caseworkers described students and families too scared to attend school or access services. "Parents are having to make an emergency plan in case that they can't make it home to cook for their kids," Melissa said during public comment.

Commission responses and next steps: Mayor LeGrande cautioned that "sanctuary city" is largely a media term and does not itself create legal protections, and he warned against giving "false hope." He and the city manager stressed the limits of municipal authority while expressing moral support for affected residents. Commissioner Esauce and others urged combining policy with budgetary investments such as legal or social services that can protect community members practically.

The commission took no formal vote on a sanctuary designation at the meeting. The city manager recommended a practical next step: add federal advocacy for immigration policy reform to the city's legislative agenda and ask staff to return with options for legally enforceable local measures. "A good next step would be to advocate for the reform federally in your legislative agenda," the city manager said.

Public safety policy in the packet: the manager summarized the city's written policies. According to the presentation, the 2017 equal services policy bars non-police public servants from asking about immigration status in the course of their duties; the 2019 GRPD foreign-national policy says officers should not hold foreign nationals without a judicial warrant and should avoid coercive threats tied to immigration status. The manager said the police chief had emphasized focusing department resources on violent crime.

What remains unresolved: advocates asked for explicit, enforceable prohibitions on any GRPD cooperation with ICE and for accountability mechanisms if officers violate the policy. Some nonprofit leaders warned the city to consider potential federal funding consequences of more public declarations and asked the commission to coordinate with schools and service providers to minimize risk to clients. The commission pledged further deliberation and follow-up with staff, departments and partner agencies.

Ending: Commissioners closed the item by thanking speakers and promising additional staff work and intergovernmental advocacy; no ordinance or binding directive was adopted at the meeting.