Michigan Sheriff Retracts Comments on Immigration Arrests

Washtenaw County Sheriff Alicia Dyer has backtracked on some statements she made regarding federal immigration arrests in her area. On Wednesday, she shared a post on her Facebook account, which, while labeled personal, also includes the sheriff’s office contact information and claimed that several arrests occurred near a school bus stop in Ypsilanti while schools were dismissing students.

Dyer reported, “We received multiple reports from community members that ICE had detained mothers in front of their children,” referring to incidents that took place on January 26. She shared a letter from Ypsilanti Public Schools Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross, who also noted that “several parents have been detained outside of school.”

She stated that “parents associated with local schools” might have been targeted at a bus stop during student dismissal, though emphasized that the arrest itself did not occur on school property.

Following her initial comments, Dyer criticized the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency for what she described as a failure to verify these reports. “Unfortunately, details are often difficult to ascertain because ICE frequently does not provide advance notice or notify Metro Dispatch,” she remarked, leaving families and schools to handle the aftermath.

By Thursday, ICE refuted Dyer’s statements, labeling them as “lies” and affirmed that they do not target educational institutions. They clarified, “To be clear, no children were present during this arrest.” Additionally, they underscored that such misinformation contributes to a stark rise in assaults and threats against police officers.

That same day, Dyer updated her remarks, noting her discussions with immigration law enforcement officials who assured her that enforcement operations wouldn’t happen on school grounds or at bus stops in the future. She implied a disconnect in communication between local authorities and ICE.

ICE responded that their operation aimed to apprehend individuals with final orders of removal from the U.S. During a targeted traffic stop, four individuals, including two from Honduras and one from Mexico, were detained. As of Friday morning, records indicated that three detainees were held at ICE facilities in Michigan.

While Dyer, who identifies as “pansexual,” promotes radical policies, her office did not respond to requests for additional comments. Interestingly, her campaign outlined a commitment to avoid working with ICE and to offer driver’s licenses to undocumented individuals.

Meanwhile, the Ypsilanti City Council recently decided to discontinue the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings, which further illustrates the shift in local governance perspectives.