ICE 'targeted' Michigan parents at Ypsilanti bus stop during student drop-off, sheriff says
Amid rumors of ICE in Michigan, what legality governs agency?
The Washtenaw County Prosecutor chimed in amid rumors that federal immigration agents had detained parents at a bus stop near a school in Ypsilanti.
(FOX 2) - A Michigan sheriff says parents were "targeted" at a bus stop in Ypsilanti by federal immigration officers this week, adding the individuals that were taken into custody were connected to local schools in Washtenaw County.
Sheriff Alyshia Dyer posted on social media that her office had received multiple reports from community members about ICE detaining a mother in front of her child in Ypsilanti.
She said the incident did not take place on any school grounds, but near a bus stop.
"…it appears that parents connected to local schools were targeted at a bus stop in Ypsilanti during student drop-off times," Dyer posted on Facebook.
Source: Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino demoted amid fallout from Minnesota shootings
Gregory Bovino has been demoted from his role as the Border Patrol Commander-at-Large following two deadly shootings of American citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minnesota, FOX 2 has confirmed.
What they're saying:
The sheriff's update was posted alongside a letter from the Superintendent at Ypsilanti Community Schools that was sent to parents about "a deeply distressing situation."
"Earlier today, following reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence near our campus, we have received confirmation that several parents in our community were taken into custody while off school grounds," the letter reads. "There are now words to fully capture the pain, fear, and disruption this causes for our scholars and their loved ones."
The school system said it was working with the Washtenaw County Intermediate School District to assist students and families impacted by the enforcement.
Washtenaw County Prosecutor chimes in
A day after the report was made public, Eli Savitt called the rumors of ICE targeting parents in the county "disturbing."
"What is happening apparently in Ypsilanti with parents being arrested and detained when they're simply trying to pick their kids up from school is deeply disturbing," he said.
Amid pushes from some in the Michigan legislature to restrict movement of ICE, FOX 2 asked Savitt what he would do if immigration officials stepped over the line in Michigan.
"There needs to be a violation of a criminal law in order to prosecute people and I don't want to promise to prosecute somebody without knowing a criminal law that potentially has been violated," he said, adding "I am not going to sit here and pretend like that's not going to be litigated, right? I'm not going to pretend there's not going to be challenges to it. But the way that the law is written, says that ICE cannot conduct civil enforcement operations."
Dig deeper:
Sheriff Dyer said details about ICE arresting and detaining people can be difficult to confirm because the agency "frequently provides no advance notice, does not contact Metro Dispatch, and leaves families, schools, and communities to process the impact on their own in the aftermath."
"I am continuing to seek answers in partnership with our local leaders and schools. Children deserve to feel safe traveling to and from school, and actions like these can undermine that sense of security and cause lasting harm," Dyer said.
Washtenaw County Sheriff discusses ICE enforcement at school bus stop
Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer joins FOX 2 Detroit Live after she says parents were "targeted" at bus stop in Ypsilanti by federal immigration officers this week, adding the individuals that were taken into custody were connected to local schools in Washtenaw County.
The other side:
FOX 2 has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
The Source: A social media post from the Washtenaw County Sheriff and letters from the Ypsilanti Community schools were cited for this story.