State lawmaker warns ICE operations could spread locally; residents urge Huntington Woods to limit cooperation
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Summary
State Rep. Natalie Price told the Huntington Woods City Commission she heard testimony that ICE operations in Minneapolis increased safety and economic harms; residents asked the city to adopt clear policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The commission discussed but took no formal local policy action.
State Rep. Natalie Price told the Huntington Woods City Commission on Feb. 17 that recent federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations she observed in Minneapolis created "serious public safety risks" and economic harm, and she urged local leaders to prepare for similar activity in Michigan.
Price, who represents House District 6 and said she recently visited Minneapolis with other lawmakers, described testimony she heard from community members and lawmakers about ICE operations around schools and businesses. "ICE, when they come in, they make our communities less safe," she said, listing several bills she said Democratic lawmakers have introduced in Lansing to limit federal immigration enforcement activity by state and local actors (Price cited House Bill 4,699; House Bill 4,760; House bills she described as 4,942–4,944; House Bill 4,796; House Bill 4,859; and House Bill 4,941).
Price said the operations she observed had economic consequences — she referenced an estimate that ICE activity cost Minnesota more than $200,000,000 in lost wages, housing instability and mental-health services and more than $3,000,000 in local police overtime — and she urged local officials to prioritize resident safety and resist measures that would coerce local governments into enforcement roles they are not trained for.
Residents at the meeting pressed the commission to adopt clear local guidance. Sid Kardon, a Huntington Woods resident, thanked Mayor Paul for saying the city would not enter a contract with ICE and called on the city to "take a stand against dictatorship and for democracy." Laurie Lisi, another resident, asked commissioners to review FOIA materials — body-camera, dash-camera and dispatch audio — related to a November traffic stop before accepting assurances that the stop was handled appropriately. "Until commissioners have reviewed the body cam footage, the dash cam footage, and listened to the dispatch audio, those assurances are being made without access to all the facts," Lisi said.
City administration and public-safety officials framed the limits of local authority. In the city manager's report, Huntington Woods public-safety leadership said local officers enforce the law but do not make federal policy and warned that the city cannot legally interfere with federal agencies when they operate within their authority. "We cannot interfere with ICE or any other federal agency," the city manager said.
The commission did not adopt a new local ordinance or formal policy at the Feb. 17 meeting. Commissioners and staff discussed the issue and invited continued engagement; Price offered to answer questions and provided an update on pending state legislation. The exchange closed without a vote or directive recorded in the meeting minutes.
What’s next: Representative Price encouraged municipalities to watch for related state legislation; residents asked the city to consider a forum to review FOIA materials and discuss local policy options with commissioners and staff.
