Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Residents urge Kent County to adopt sanctuary policies, end cooperation with ICE
Summary
More than a dozen speakers during public comment urged the Kent County Board of Commissioners to adopt sanctuary protections, stop sharing surveillance data and block contracts that facilitate deportations. Commissioners and county staff said some immigration authority rests with federal agencies and noted limits on county jurisdiction.
Dozens of residents and advocates used the county’s public-comment period to call on the Kent County Board of Commissioners to adopt sanctuary policies and to stop local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Speakers representing immigrant-rights groups, students, community organizers and residents described recent arrests, alleged unmarked detentions and family separations and urged the board to prohibit county cooperation with ICE, ban ICE detention centers in Kent County and stop sharing surveillance data that could be used by federal immigration authorities.
Why this matters: Speakers said local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement undermines trust, harms families and chills participation in schools and community life. Several called on the board to adopt clear written protections to prevent…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
