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Residents urge Southfield to press Redico for town hall after reports of ICE legal office lease
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Summary
Multiple residents and local groups urged the Southfield City Council to demand a public town hall with Redico and to speak publicly about a reported lease at 1 Town Square for OPLA, the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, citing concerns about transparency and treatment of detainees. Council members acknowledged limited local authority but said they would pursue appropriate channels.
Multiple residents and civic groups told the Southfield City Council on March 23 that the city should demand answers from Redico about a reported lease for space at 1 Town Square occupied by OPLA, the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, which provides legal services to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Speakers urged the council to press the developer to hold a public town hall to explain tenant arrangements and to make clear what the city knows about the occupant.
The push came during the communications portion of the meeting, when several community members spoke in succession. Cameron Fink, co-founder of Southfield Neighbors Action Committee, said Redico had “invited a secret government office in our town to police and abuse our citizens” and criticized changes to the building directory that he said obscured the tenant’s identity. “Redico is attempting to misdirect and mislead the public,” he said, and asked the council to “demand Redico host a town hall meeting to address these concerns with the public.”
Speakers who followed repeated the call for transparency and described alleged harms they associate with ICE operations. John Koski, identifying himself as a representative of the Coalition to Shut Down the Camps, said the group has seen federal sites where people — including children — are detained in conditions he called “a travesty.” Alex (last name not provided), a member of SNAC, said the community has spent months rallying and seeking engagement with Redico and asked the council to request a public meeting so residents can ask questions directly.
Council members repeatedly noted the limits of municipal authority over federal agencies. Presiding officer noted the council’s prior “welcoming city” resolution and asked speakers to direct certain policy concerns to federal oversight channels. Still, several council members said they share constituents’ concerns about transparency and urged staff to engage with the developer and document the city’s position.
The council did not take a formal vote on a letter or directive to Redico at the meeting. Several speakers requested that the mayor and council issue a public statement and press the developer for a town hall; council members said staff would follow up with options for engagement and that the administration would provide a more formal response to written submissions. A congresswoman’s liaison present at the meeting also announced a community “Know Your Rights” town hall on March 31 and distributed flyers for residents seeking federal assistance.
What happens next: Council members said staff will provide follow-up responses to the individuals who submitted materials and will explore whether a formal council letter or request to the landlord is appropriate. The meeting record does not show a council motion or formal directive on this item; any formal action would appear on a future agenda.
