A state House committee has adopted bills that would require local officials to help enforce federal immigration laws.
Opponents filled the hearing room and spilled into an overflow room. Some cheered or applauded testimony opposing the bills. No one testified in favor of or showed up to support HB 4105 and HB 4334 in Wednesday’s hearing.
Local officials say their officers are not trained to do immigration work, and they could inadvertently violate constitutional protections.
“Please don’t make Michigan a show-me-your-papers state,” said Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor. “That would be the result of this legislation.”
That did not sit well with state Representative Jim Runestad (R-White Lake).
“No law enforcement is permitted to walk up to an individual and say, ‘show me your papers.’ It’s preposterous, something out of a movie from the 40s,” he said. “The reality is you have to be stopped for something else.”
The bill cleared the committee on a party-line vote with Republicans voting for the ban, and Democrats against it. The bill now goes to the House floor.
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— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
