Oakland County commissioners adopt resolution backing state immigration reform, create ad hoc committee to pursue local measures

Oakland County commissioners on Feb. 19 adopted a package of measures urging reforms to federal civil‑immigration enforcement and created an ad hoc committee to pursue local action.

The board voted 12–5 to approve a resolution formally supporting Michigan Senate bills 508, 509 and 510, legislation that would restrict certain civil‑immigration enforcement activities around sensitive locations and require additional judicial oversight. “I chose to do an inordinate introduction with this resolution,” said Commissioner Brendan Johnson, who sponsored the measure, arguing the board had to act quickly in the face of incidents across the country.

Separately, the board adopted a county resolution opposing civil immigration enforcement activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and related federal agencies on county‑owned or operated facilities, and opposing the use of face coverings that conceal officers’ identities during civil immigration enforcement (final vote recorded as 12 ayes, 4 nays). The chair read the board communication creating the new Oakland County Community Safety & Civil Rights Ad Hoc Committee to develop follow‑up policy and practice.

Supporters in the audience urged the board to go beyond symbolic measures and instead adopt concrete local policies: the so‑called “five asks” repeatedly voiced during public comment were (1) prohibit DHS/CBP/ICE operations on county property without a judicial warrant, (2) refuse 287(g) agreements now or ever, (3) allocate $50,000 for county‑funded legal aid for affected residents, (4) allocate $100,000 through the county health department for food assistance for impacted children, and (5) do not renew the county’s data‑sharing or related contracts with ICE (several speakers referred to a local contract commonly referenced as Clemis/Clemens or CLIMIS).

“Words aren’t going to cut it here,” said resident Maureen Abele during public comment. Dozens of residents gave personal accounts of local enforcement activity and urged the commission to adopt enforceable county policy rather than only supporting state legislation, which several speakers said is unlikely to pass in the Michigan House.

Commissioners debated the legal scope of local authority. Some members urged caution, saying county staff and corporate counsel must ensure any policy changes would be legally defensible; others said immediate local steps — including stopping data‑sharing contracts and earmarking one‑time funds for legal aid and food assistance — were within the board’s purview. Chair David T. Woodward said the administration has already begun processes to end the county’s data‑sharing contract and that staff are working with counsel to identify actions the county can take safely and effectively.

Several additional immigration‑related resolutions were introduced during the meeting and referred to the new ad hoc committee for review; motions to suspend rules for immediate consideration of some of those measures failed, so they will be formally processed through the ad hoc committee.

The board’s next procedural step is the ad hoc committee’s review of the referred resolutions and any staff recommendations; commissioners said the committee will report back to the full board with legally vetted options.