Reps. Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers), Matt Maddock (R-Milford), Neil Friske (R-Charlevoix), Joseph Fox (R-Fremont), James DeSana (R-Carleton) discussed their recent efforts introduced in the House aimed at cracking down on undocumented immigration. | Kyle Davidson.
A day after President Joe Biden announced he was taking executive action to cap the number of requests for asylum granted at the southern border, members of Michigan’s far-right Freedom Caucus gathered on the Capitol steps announcing legislation that would crack down on undocumented immigration.
State Reps. Neil Friske (R-Charlevoix), Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers), Matt Maddock (R-Milford), Joseph Fox (R-Fremont) and James DeSana (R-Carleton) on Wednesday announced the introduction of a five-bill package — House Bills 5774–5778 — which would require Michigan law enforcement to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers. It would also punish local government entities for not enforcing federal immigration laws, make it a state-level crime to be present in Michigan without legal status, and bar any local policy prohibiting police officers from questioning a person’s immigration status.
Alongside the bills, Carra introduced an accompanying measure, House Resolution 270, which opposes undocumented immigration and shares support for legal immigration, saying “legal immigration is too hard and illegal immigration is too easy,” and calling for the president and Congress to take action on undocumented immigration.
“We have a serious problem in our state with legal immigration being too difficult. This is a problem throughout the nation, where you can come here illegally very easily, but if you do it the right way, it takes years. And then when you come here illegally, you’re giving all kinds of rewards and benefits,” Carra said.
According to the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), non-U.S. citizens have been long considered ineligible for major federal public benefits programs.
Reps. Matt Maddock (R-Milford), Joseph Fox (R-Fremont), Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers), James DeSana (R-Carleton) and Neil Friske (R-Charlevoix) held a press conference on June 5, 2024 discussing measures opposing undocumented immigration.
After the implementation of the 1996 federal welfare and immigration laws, many lawful immigrants were barred from receiving benefits from the major public benefits programs for five years or longer. Many states have since attempted to fill the gaps in noncitizen coverage created by the laws, either by permitting federal options to cover more eligible noncitizens or spending state funds to cover immigrants who are ineligible for federal services, according to NILC.
Michigan Republicans have repeatedly criticized Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Newcomer Rental Subsidy program — which provides “Refugees and other Newcomer population-eligible households with rental assistance up to $500 per month for up to 12 months, with eligibility based on immigration status and household income” — arguing it encourages undocumented immigration within the state.
The resolution was supported by Friske, Fox, Maddock and DeSana, as well as state Reps. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay), Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia), Josh Schriver (R-Oxford), Rachelle Smit (R-Martin), Greg Alexander (R-Carsonville), Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills), Timothy Beson (R-Bay City), John Roth (R-Interlochen), Doug Wozniak (R-Shelby Twp.), Joseph Aragona (R-Clinton Twp.) and Tom Kunse (R-Clare).
When asked about Biden’s recent action restricting asylum, Maddock said the order was “three years, four years too late,” saying the move was the result of Biden lagging former President Donald Trump in the polls.
“This would be something that we should have done years ago,” Maddock said.
Republicans in both the House and Senate have repeatedly raised concerns over immigration, with House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) and Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.) visiting the U.S. southern border in April. Carra, Maddock, DeSana and Friske visited the border in February.
Michigan State House Republican Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) speaks at a media roundtable before the governor’s State of the State on Jan. 24, 2024. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols)
Hall introduced a package of bills in June 2023 that would ban “sanctuary cities” within Michigan, referencing cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The bills were referred to the House Government Operations Committee, where policies are often sent to die. The bills have yet to receive a hearing.
Senate Republicans issued their “Strong Borders, Safe Communities” plan in February, which also includes provisions to end sanctuary city practices, alongside increasing penalties for the creation, manufacturing, delivery, or possession of fentanyl. The package also calls on the President and Congress to fully resolve the border crisis.
According to a report from Detroit Free Press, Lansing is the only Michigan city that has declared itself a sanctuary city, while Ingham, Kalamazoo, Kent and Wayne counties are considered sanctuary counties. Detroit and Ann Arbor also have policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities and bar police officers from asking about a person’s immigration status.
In a statement released Monday, Whitmer, a Democrat, praised the Biden administration’s order.
“President Biden’s executive action will help secure our country’s border by making it easier for immigration officers to remove those who are here unlawfully, reducing the burden on our Border Patrol agents. Today’s announcement builds on the president’s work to deploy a record number of border agents and officers to the southern border. The American people want real solutions, and President Biden is delivering today,” said Whitmer, who serves as a co-chair for Biden’s reelection campaign.
She also called on Congress to take additional action to support Biden’s executive action, blasting Republicans for blocking previous immigration efforts.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at the Mackinac Policy Conference May 29, 2024 | Anna Liz Nichols
However, Biden’s announcement has generated pushback from immigration and civil rights advocates.
The ACLU has announced that it will challenge Biden’s order, arguing it puts tens of thousands of lives at risk and mirrors the Trump-era restrictions on asylum.
Michigan United Action — an organization advocating for economic and racial justice — released a statement on Wednesday condemning the order and calling on the president to reverse his decision.
“This executive order is nothing short of an attack on migrants and a stark betrayal of the promises made to the American people during his campaign, where he committed to a more humane and just immigration system. For years, we fought against former President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, and we are not afraid to do the same when President Biden mirrors his predecessor,” said Ken Whittaker, executive director of Michigan United Action.
“Migration is a human right. President Biden is wrong to sacrifice the lives of those seeking a better life in an attempt to appease anti-immigrant voters who will likely not support him anyway. Instead, he risks losing more voters in a year when many already feel disillusioned and ignored by the political system. We demand that President Biden reverse this decision immediately,” Whittaker said.
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