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Lansing Adds Meeting to Vote on Sanctuary City Status

Lansing city council photo
Courtesy
/
City of Lansing
Lansing City Council

On Wednesday night, city council will revisit its decision to declare Lansing to be a "sanctuary city."

The Lansing City Council may decide to replace its recently approved sanctuary city status with a term less controversial.  

At-large council members Judi Brown Clarke and Carol Wood scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Both would like the sanctuary city designation rescinded. They proposed declaring Lansing a "welcoming city" instead.

Clarke, one of three mayoral candidates, told the Lansing State Journal that the sanctuary city status became a "negative distraction."

Six council members approved the status on April 3. The action followed an executive order by Lansing mayor Virg Bernero. It prevents police from stopping or pursuing people based on their immigration status.  Officers are also not allowed to ask immigration status of crime witnesses or victims.

Critics believe "sanctuary cities" purposely violate federal immigration law.  President Trump has vowed to withhold federal funding from cities that call themselves "sanctuary cities."

Both the Michigan and Lansing chambers of commerce sent a letter to the city council demanding that it drop the sanctuary cities declaration.

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