Washtenaw County board directs counsel to explore response to DHS subpoena after hours of public comment

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners voted to direct corporation counsel to explore legal options to respond to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subpoena and notice of inspection for county records, the board said after an extended public comment period and a closed-session review.

The resolution, moved by Commissioner Jessie Hodge and approved by roll call, instructs legal staff to analyze the county’s options and return with recommendations to the board. The vote was recorded as affirmative by the commissioners present; Commissioner Beeman was noted as absent for health reasons.

Why it matters: County officials and dozens of speakers told commissioners that the subpoena — and broader federal enforcement actions — risk exposing immigrant residents and other vulnerable people to detention or deportation. Residents, nonprofit staff and elected local officials urged resistance or careful legal pushback. County leaders said they would balance community trust, local values and legal obligations while avoiding actions that could place county staff or services at legal risk.

Public comments and law-enforcement response

More than two hours of public comment focused largely on the DHS request and on preserving the county’s municipal ID and other records. Mary Anne Peron of Ann Arbor, speaking during the meeting’s public-comment period, told commissioners: “I would like to thank you, all of you, for taking this subpoena and for considering all the things that you are considering, what your legal obligations are and what your human rights obligations are.” She added, “We will not consent to what they are asking for.”

Several other speakers made similar pleas. Amy Procek of Ann Arbor said the board’s decision would have “immediate and possibly deadly” consequences for neighbors if the county shared sensitive data. Laura Sanders, a Dexter Township trustee who helped develop the county ID program, said the ID helps residents access services including people without conventional documents and asked commissioners not to “cave.”

Sheriff Alicia Dyer addressed the board during the meeting and said the sheriff’s office is not collaborating with ICE and stands “in solidarity with the community.” She told the assembled public and the board, “We at the sheriff’s office are not collaborating with ICE, and…it is…I will say we as elected officials are under immense pressure.”

Leticia Lamelle Sharp, the county treasurer, said the treasurer’s office “does not in any way request information on your immigrant status when we’re answering questions or providing services.”

Board action and next steps

After public comment and a closed-session review, Commissioner Hodge moved a resolution directing corporation counsel to explore options to respond to the DHS subpoena and notice of inspection. The board approved the resolution by roll-call vote. Commissioners recorded as voting yes included: Jason LaBarre, Crystal Light, Tomasz Machieski (name appearing in transcript as “Mashieski”/similar variants), Michael Robbie, Caroline Sanders, Jason Scott (chair), Sam Summerville, Deborah Hart, and Jessie Hodge. Commissioner Shannon Beeman was recorded as absent for illness.

The resolution tasks county counsel with evaluating legal avenues — including asserting legal privileges, pursuing protective orders, and identifying statutory limits on the request — and reporting back to the board before any records are produced. County administration emphasized it will proceed with “deliberate haste and careful planning” to protect residents while meeting legal obligations.

What county officials said and what to expect

Commissioners stressed they will not make a unilateral public statement that conflicts with legal advice and said actions will be guided by counsel’s review. Chair Jason Scott told speakers the board will “work with deliberate haste and careful planning to make sure that we dot all the i’s, cross all the t’s, and that we don't violate the law while we're operationalizing the will of this board.”

Sheriff Dyer and police-service leadership reiterated their offices are not providing ICE with assistance and expressed support for county staff. The treasurer’s office said it does not collect immigration status information in routine service delivery.

The corporation counsel’s analysis will include legal risks, privilege assertions, options for non-disclosure or partial response, and operational impacts on county systems that contain personally identifiable information. Counsel’s findings and recommended next steps will be returned to the board for further direction.

Ending

Commissioners, county staff and community members said they will continue to press legal avenues and public advocacy. The board’s resolution does not itself produce or withhold records; it directs counsel to evaluate options and report back, leaving any production decision to a subsequent, board-reviewed process. Several speakers said they plan to remain engaged in coming days and weeks as the county moves through the legal review.