DOJ sues Washtenaw County over immigration enforcement policies
Federal lawsuit alleges county policies interfere with ICE and violate U.S. law
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a federal lawsuit against Washtenaw County, Michigan, alleging local officials are unlawfully interfering with federal immigration enforcement.
The complaint, filed April 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, names the county, its board of commissioners, Sheriff Alyshia M. Dyer, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit and the prosecutor’s office as defendants.
According to the Justice Department, the county has adopted policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including refusing to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests and limiting federal agents’ access to county facilities.
Federal officials argue those policies violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that federal law takes precedence over state and local laws. The lawsuit also claims the policies obstruct the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration laws and remove individuals who are in the country illegally.
In a statement, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said local governments cannot “deliberately interfere” with federal immigration enforcement efforts and warned that such policies put law enforcement at risk.
The Justice Department alleges that Washtenaw County’s policies have led to the release of individuals from custody who were subject to federal immigration action, including some with serious criminal convictions.
Specifically, the complaint challenges three county actions: a sheriff’s office directive declining to honor ICE detainers without a judicial warrant, a prosecutor’s policy aimed at reducing immigration consequences in criminal cases, and a county resolution restricting ICE access to county property.
The federal government is seeking a court declaration that the policies are unlawful, along with an injunction to block their enforcement and require compliance with federal law.
The lawsuit is part of a broader effort by the Justice Department to challenge so-called sanctuary policies across the country. Officials said this marks one of several similar legal actions targeting local jurisdictions they say are not cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
Washtenaw County officials have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.
Oh, yeah! This makes me laugh. The Sheriff in Washtenaw County has been very vocal about how she will prevent ICE from operating in her county. She's the sheriff and she has the final say. There seems to be no one she thinks she has to report to. Ann Arbor is her kingdom and all the surrounding areas. I want to see where this goes. She needs to learn her place in the real world.