LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Michele Hoitenga on Friday called for immediate action to ensure Wexford County is in compliance with federal immigration laws after it was recently identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as an alleged sanctuary jurisdiction.
“The mention of Wexford County on a list of areas that are alleged to not be in compliance with federal immigration law and enforcement efforts is extremely disturbing,” said Hoitenga, R-Manton. “This must be resolved immediately. I’ll continue to work with local and federal officials until this is resolved.”
In April, Hoitenga worked closely with the Center for Immigration Studies and Wexford County Sheriff’s Office to see that Wexford County was removed from that organization’s list of sanctuary jurisdictions and has supported legislation to ban the practice in Michigan.
“My office was proud to help lead the efforts to seek the removal of Wexford County from the Center for Immigration Studies’ sanctuary communities list. However, that is a nonprofit entity separate from the federal government and Department of Homeland Security,” Hoitenga said. “I encourage the department to keep open lines of communication, and I am confident that our local law enforcement officials will work with them to resolve any potential issues.”
