MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Marquette County Commission held a public comment session tonight surrounding the issue of how to handle potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in Marquette County.
During the public comment session of tonight’s meeting, nearly two dozen residents spoke in favor of a resolution by the county commission to limit the county’s cooperation with any future ice operations here.
Tonight’s outpouring of public comment is a continuation of comments made during the Commission’s last meeting on February 3, where commissioners Aholm and Numminen proposed a resolution to hold I.C.E. more accountable for its actions.
“How Marquette County is going to deal with I.C.E. when it comes to our community, not if that comes, when it comes, and how are we going to proactively deal with that and prepare for it before they get here,” said Marquette County Commissioner Karl Numminen.
One by one, members of the standing room only crowd urge the commission to take action to stop ICE agents from wearing masks, adopt uniforms that identify themselves, and condemn what they feel is the illegal use of violence against citizens.
“And if we don’t act now, then it will be too late. How many of our own will be taken? How many from Gwinn? How many from Negaunee? How many from Marquette?” said Marquette resident Andrew Dalian.
No action was taken during tonight’s meeting. However, Board Chair Joe Derocha did say the board will consider measures to avoid the violence seen in Minneapolis earlier this year, as long as those measures legally fall within the US Constitution.
“We need to see what the parameters of our legal authority are. I don’t know, but we’re going to find out, and we’re going to develop a policy and some protocols that are within those parameters of our legal authority for Marquette County.” Exclaimed Numminin.
The Commission will now look at what other communities have done, what works, and what is within the framework of the law.
[
