President Trump’s attempts to keep out refugees and deport undocumented residents keep reverberating in Ann Arbor’s City Hall. “We feel pressure from increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, or at least the perception of more activity,” says mayor Christopher Taylor. “But we don’t set up barricades around the city to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from coming in. That’s not something we can do.”
In April, city council directed the AAPD not to collect information on the immigration status of people it comes into contact with, but stopped short of declaring Ann Arbor a “sanctuary city.” “People have different definitions and conceptions of what ‘sanctuary city’ means,” says Taylor. “If your definition of a sanctuary city is one that nullifies federal law by action and inaction, then we are not.”
Instead, Taylor offers a different adjective. “We are a welcoming city: We do everything we can to support immigrants and refugees. And we do what we’re obligated to do with respect to federal law.”
