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Advocates cite legal and fiscal risks if Livingston County keeps ICE 287(g) agreement
Summary
Speakers at the July 27 meeting pointed to Sixth Circuit rulings and county budget figures, arguing that executing administrative ICE warrants in local custody could create constitutional exposure and costly litigation for Livingston County.
Advocates who spoke at the Livingston County Board of Commissioners meeting framed the 287(g) agreement as a legal and fiscal liability for the county. Brandy Pirtle of People Powered Flint cited recent Sixth Circuit cases and said administrative ICE warrants are not judicial warrants and therefore raise Fourth, Fifth and 14th Amendment concerns when local deputies execute them in county custody.
Pirtle also cited county budget figures and taxable value data to argue the county could be risking taxpayer resources for federal enforcement: "Livingston County's own 2026 budget approximately $126,900,000...the county has connected this agreement to the eligibility to compete for a reported $7,500,000 federal grant," she said. Speakers urged the board to release the complete agreement to the public and to weigh potential litigation exposure against any federal funding rationale.
Speakers named court decisions (cited in public comment) in which courts found detention without probable cause or mandatory detention under ICE processes raised constitutional problems. The board did not take immediate formal action to rescind the agreement during the meeting; speakers said they will continue to press commissioners for transparency and legal review.
