No one should live in fear of being torn from their community while visiting a city building. But that fear is very real for many immigrants in Ann Arbor, especially after a disturbing incident where federal immigration agents used a city police department to process a detained woman—raising serious questions about whether local facilities are being used to support ICE’s inhumane enforcement actions.

Ann Arbor says it supports immigrants. Mayor Christopher Taylor has condemned ICE’s tactics and vowed not to cooperate with them. But when agents are allowed to enter our public buildings, even for “just a restroom,” it sends the opposite message: that city spaces are not safe for immigrant residents.

Local advocates with the Movement for Immigrant Rights Action (MIRA) are calling for a clear, enforceable ban on ICE and Border Patrol agents accessing any city-run facilities. They argue—rightly—that allowing agents inside municipal buildings, even briefly, can facilitate the detention and deportation of community members. It creates confusion, breaks public trust, and chills immigrants from accessing basic services.

Other cities like Chicago have already enacted policies declaring municipal spaces as ICE-free zones. We can do the same in Ann Arbor. 

We call on Mayor Christopher Taylor and the Ann Arbor City Council to:

Pass a resolution immediately barring ICE and Border Patrol from using or entering any city-owned facility—including police stations, libraries, city hall, and other public spaces—for any enforcement-related activity.

When federal immigration agents come to our town, they should be met with firm policies that reflect our values—not open doors. Let’s make it official: Ann Arbor stands with immigrants, not with ICE.

Sign this petition to demand our city council protect immigrants by banning ICE from all city facilities.