As reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in Ypsilanti spur fear in some community members, Ypsilanti joins Ann Arbor in passing a resolution to mitigate and limit civil immigration enforcement action in the area.
At their Feb. 17, 2026, meeting, Ypsilanti City Council members unanimously approved a resolution establishing a policy that prohibits the use of city resources, funds or personnel to assist in civil immigration enforcement, or entering into an agreement with civil immigration authorities under federal law.
"We need it now," said Mayor Nicole Brown of the resolution, after debate between Ypsilanti City Council members on the specific language used in it.
The resolution, which was introduced by Councilors Patrick McLean, Ward 2, and Desirae Simmons, Ward 3, reaffirms Ypsilanti's existing ordinance that prohibits city officials from requesting immigration status unless required by law.
Read more: Ypsilanti City Council to vote on civil immigration resolution - The Eastern Echo
In the United States, immigration enforcement is primarily a function of the federal government. Federal immigration enforcement agencies, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection, fall under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Ypsilanti area has seen an increase in reports of immigration enforcement agents, Laura Sanders told The Eastern Echo in a previous interview. Sanders is an advocate with the group Movement for Immigrant Rights Action and said the group receives weekly and sometimes daily reports of immigration enforcement activity in Washtenaw County.
"What we are saying is the city property, city resources, city funds can't be used for warrantless ICE or CBP activities. Now, for the last year, we have been hearing the supposed purpose of ICE and CBP actions under the Trump regime was to find, detain and deport violent and dangerous criminals who did not have the right to be in the United States," McLean said. "Instead, what we have seen is ICE and CBP have devolved into a goon squad. It does not protect our communities, but rather terrorizes our communities, including murdering our own citizens. There is no good reason why we should enable our participation in these kinds of actions. This resolution is designed to protect Ypsilanti city residents from what has become Trump's extralegal, extraconstitutional secret police, by saying we will not allow our resources to be used for this kind of activity."
The resolution also bars federal immigration authorities from entering or using private areas in city facilities for civil immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. It also prohibits the use of city parking lots as operational bases for civil immigration enforcement. With guidance from legal counsel and the city manager, councilors debated the specifics of the resolution, such as whether or not immigration enforcement could be limited in public spaces. The City Council passed the resolution with minimal changes, choosing to move forward and adjust later if needed.
Ann Arbor City Council passed a similar resolution at its Feb. 2, 2026, meeting.
Like Ann Arbor's resolution, Ypsilanti's approved order serves as a formal opposition to the use of face coverings by law enforcement, including immigration officers, used to conceal their identity when conducting official duties in Ypsilanti, except in cases of verified public health or safety reasons. There has been some legal debate on the jurisdiction of municipalities in passing and enforcing bans on face coverings used by federal immigration officials. Language used in the resolution was expanded to extend the ban to all law enforcement officers, per advice from City Attorney Randolph Barker.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, multiple Ypsilanti residents voiced support for the resolution, and pushed for councilors to do more to address the current climate.
"We have a very aggressive party that is intent on destroying our institutions, and an ineffectual party that is unwilling to stand up and prevent that decline," said Ypsilanti Resident Greg Woodring. "When we see this type of decline at the national level, we look to local leadership."
Ypsilanti resident KJ Pedri also shared support for the resolution, and encouraged further action.
"The ICE issue is obviously pressing. I support the resolution in front of us, but it clearly does not go far enough," Pedri said. "I think we should be pushing the envelope further. We shouldn't just be following up with what other places are doing, but figuring out our own cutting edge moves on how to manage this."
