LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) -A broad coalition of Michigan lawmakers, faith leaders, and community advocates is calling for an end to the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in the state, including a proposed detention center in Romulus and new federal office space in Southfield that the coalition believes could be used by ICE.
At a Thursday press conference, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, said she voted against recent Department of Homeland Security funding and will oppose future appropriations without major reforms.
“We cannot fund DHS or ICE until bold, meaningful, and transformational changes are made that stop ICE’s out-of-control brutality,” Dingell said.
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) similarly pledged to withhold funding, saying, “I refuse to send another dollar to the Department of Homeland Security.”
Updated Feb. 19, 2026, at 7:12 p.m.: During the press conference, speakers referenced a new office space in Southfield that they believe could be connected to ICE operations. The property owner, REDICO, clarified that the lease at One Towne Center is with the U.S. General Services Administration, not directly with ICE.
In a written statement dated Feb. 17, REDICO said the lease is “with the United States of America, by and through the General Services Administration, for general office use only.”
“The terms of the lease explicitly prohibit any law enforcement, detention, or similar activities from occurring at the property,” the company stated, adding that it is prepared to enforce the agreement if those terms are violated.
REDICO also said it has offered to meet directly with Tlaib to review the lease terms and answer questions. The company emphasized it has been part of the Southfield community since 1967 and that the safety of tenants, employees, and neighbors remains a top priority.
The proposed Romulus site, described by speakers as a warehouse previously slated for automotive jobs, would house hundreds of detainees. Tlaib delivered one of the most forceful rebukes.
“I need to be very clear, and for it to be very loud, ICE is not welcome, not only in Romulus and Southfield, ICE is not welcome in Michigan,” Tlaib said. “We are going to stand strong in saying abolish ICE. There was life before ICE. There can be life after abolishing ICE.”
Tlaib said the Romulus facility represents an “unprecedented expansion,” arguing detention centers are often operated by for-profit corporations and subject to poor conditions. She cited reported suicide attempts at Michigan facilities and said ICE cannot be reformed.
The proposed Romulus facility would add to ICE’s presence in Michigan, which already includes the North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, the largest ICE detention facility in the Midwest.
The Baldwin facility reopened as a detention center in June 2025 and has a capacity of 1,800 detainees. Federal data shows it has housed an average daily population of more than 1,300 detainees in recent months.
According to federal data, ICE arrested 2,349 people in Michigan from January through October 2025, nearly triple the number during the same period in 2024. More than 3,300 people were detained in Michigan during that timeframe, most at the Baldwin facility.
While some detainees were charged with serious crimes, most had no criminal record at the time of booking. Immigration-related violations were the most common offenses.
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) recently toured the Baldwin facility with U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) following the December death of detainee Nenko Gantchev. Stevens has called for greater transparency and reforms to ICE operations.
In the U.S. Senate, Sen. Elissa Slotkin and outgoing Sen. Gary Peters have signaled opposition to additional DHS funding following fatal enforcement incidents in Minnesota.
Faith leaders also spoke forcefully against ICE expansion.
Reverend Paul Perez called on Christians to engage in “holy protest and sacred resistance,” saying, “ICE is not making our communities or our nation safer. ICE needs to be stopped. ICE needs to be held accountable. ICE needs to be defunded.”
Rabbi Asher Lopatin of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor said the Jewish community understands the fear many immigrant families are experiencing.
“We are a nation of immigrants,” Lopatin said, urging comprehensive immigration reform rather than expanded enforcement.
Protests are planned in Romulus ahead of a City Council meeting as residents push for transparency and attempt to halt the proposed detention center.
The future of the Romulus project and broader efforts to limit ICE’s footprint in Michigan will likely depend on local zoning decisions, state legislative action, and federal funding battles still unfolding in Washington.
