Kalamazoo City Commission Votes to Reject Federal Policing Grant Over Immigration Enforcement Concerns

Police Grant With Immigration Conditions Removed From City Commission Agenda

The city of Kalamazoo will reject a federal policing grant after opponents raised concerns that accepting the funding would force the city to change its policy on cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program grant, awarded to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, is for $1.25 million to fund 10 new officer positions for three years. But the Department of Justice grant includes a requirement that participating agencies comply with 8 U.S.C. section 1373, a federal statute related to sharing immigration status information.

The item appeared on the March 2 agenda but was removed per the recommendation of City Manager Malcolm Hankins ahead of the Monday commission meeting.

The Kalamazoo City Commission tonight will consider accepting a federal grant that opponents fear may require it to change its policy toward cooperation with federal immigration authorities such as ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.

Residents worried police grant could force Kalamazoo to change ICE policy, according to NowKalamazoo.

Community members have raised concerns that the grant could limit the city's ability to maintain or expand local policies that restrict when officers can ask about immigration status, particularly in a community where immigration enforcement has been a point of tension.

Existing KDPS policy limits when officers can ask about immigration status but already allows information-sharing as required under federal law.

According to a recommendation by City Manager Malcolm Hankins to approve the grant, the additional positions would support efforts to reduce violent crime, expand neighborhood-based policing, and meet increasing service demands.

The City Commission business meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 241 W. South St.

Protesters Gather Ahead Of Vote

Ahead of Monday's meeting, protesters gathered at the North Kalamazoo Mall, holding signs denouncing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Some had concerns that accepting the funding would mean allowing federal officials to collect or request citizenship and immigration status information from the city. Others were concerned about the increasing behavioral health calls being used as justification for the grant.

Kalamazoo activist groups, including Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan Coalition, are part of the opposition to the grant.

Federal regulations limit the extent of public engagement during the grant acceptance process. The item appeared on the March 2 agenda but was removed per the recommendation of City Manager Malcolm Hankins.

Grant Funding 10 New Police Officers

The COPS Hiring Program grant is designed to help law enforcement agencies hire and retain new officers. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety would use the $1.25 million over three years to fund 10 new officer positions.

But the grant comes with strings attached. The Department of Justice grant includes a requirement that participating agencies comply with 8 U.S.C. section 1373, a federal statute related to sharing immigration status information.

This requirement has sparked debate across the state and nation about the balance between federal immigration enforcement and local community policing priorities.

The decision to reject the grant comes as the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety faces increasing pressure to address rising crime rates while maintaining trust with immigrant communities in the area.