Close the Camps protest urges Dearborn police to stop working with ICE

DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Dozens of demonstrators gather outside the Dearborn Police Department demanding it ends its agreement of cooperation with ICE - Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"When the Dearborn Police Department chooses to join ICE's racist efforts to go after communities of color, they choose to take part in the mass policing and mass incarceration of black and brown bodies," said protester Nabintou Doumbia, whose father was deported.

"Collaborating with this agency that is deporting people in huge numbers makes it harder to police Dearborn, because these people are then afraid of the police," said Rep. Andy Levin (D-Berkley). "They don't want to help the police; they don't want to talk to the police."

Congress members Andy Levin, Debbie Dingell and Rashida Tlaib joined protesters in condemning the Trump administration's immigration policies and calling for a closure of ICE detention centers.

"When they say never again, it doesn't mean never again for the Jewish people," said Rabbi David Polsky. "It means never again for anyone." 

ICE has been front and center of the immigration debate separating families as agents execute raids and detain migrants, at times housing them in squalid conditions at detention centers.

"We can't allow people to be detained in conditions that are inhumane, and we cannot allow the separation policy to continue even though the Trump administration has been continually told by the courts not to do that, they continue to do that," said Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit).

The demonstration comes as House Democrats call on President Trump to end deportations of Iraqi nationals.

Jimmy Aldaoud died in Baghdad last week after being deported.  The 41-year-old had lived his entire life in Detroit. he was removed from the country in June

"They found him dead on the floor from a diabetic crisis because he didn't have insulin," said Levin. "Something that is widespread here."

Detroit Jews for Justice organized the demonstration along with Bend the Arc Ann Arbor, another Jewish social justice organization and the Council on American Islamic Relations.

"This was the Jewish community, the Muslim community, the Hispanic community (this) Catholic girl coming together standing up against the hate and fear that is diving this country," Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn).

There has been no response from Dearborn police Chief Ron Haddad about its agreement with ICE.