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Residents urge Livingston County commissioners to rescind 'anti-immigrant' tracking resolution
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Livingston County Board of Commissioners to rescind a September resolution they described as discriminatory and likely to prompt racial profiling, leaving written materials with the clerk when translations were limited at the meeting.
Dozens of residents used the meeting's public-comment periods to urge the Livingston County Board of Commissioners to rescind a resolution the speakers described as "anti immigrant" and discriminatory.
Speakers from Kent and other Michigan counties told commissioners they feared the resolution — described during comments as directing the county to monitor and document contacts between "illegal immigrants" and the sheriff's office — would encourage racial profiling and put civil rights at risk. Hema, speaking for Movimiento Cosecha, said the resolution's language was "dehumanizing" and demanded it be rescinded. Raven Odom of Kentwood said the measure "paints a picture of an entire group of people" and accused the county of disguising xenophobia as safety concerns.
Speakers left written materials with the clerk when translation requests could not be accommodated at length in the meeting. Brenda, who said she lives in Kent County, read economic figures and described fear among immigrant families: "We live in fear all the time because of laws, and resolutions are passed like this," she said. A translator reading for Nereda told the board the sheriff's office should not inquire about immigration status because enforcement is a federal responsibility.
Commissioners did not take action to rescind the earlier resolution during the Oct. 28 meeting. The board heard repeated calls from members of the public to replace the tracking resolution with a statement supporting driver's licenses for all or other protections for immigrants, and several speakers warned the county could face legal challenges if the resolution is implemented.
The clerk recorded and accepted written submissions from several speakers for the public record. The board proceeded with the rest of its agenda, including votes on appointments, contracts and grant acceptances. Residents who urged rescission said they will continue advocacy and, in at least one case, pursue resolutions or candidacy to roll back what they called a harmful measure.
