He’s standing firm…
Detroit’s Democrat Mayor Mike Duggan refused to apologize to liberal immigrant rights groups for using the term “illegal” to describe the migrants in the city who entered the U.S. illegally.
Last week, Duggan used the term “illegal” when discussing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Detroit. Nine immigrant rights groups in Michigan condemned the mayor on Wednesday, saying in a press release that the “use of the I-word” is “dehumanizing,” The Detroit News reported.
“The Mayor’s use of the I-word is inappropriate, dehumanizing, and an insult to Detroit’s longstanding immigrant communities,” the groups said in their joint statement.
Duggan, who recently launched a campaign for governor, responded to the criticism, saying that the groups are condemning him over “political correctness.”
He added, “During my term as Mayor, Detroit has been a welcoming city, where we support the success of immigrants. But when Detroit police make a criminal arrest and DPD gets federal notification that the person in custody is in the country illegally, we should not and do not shield you from federal enforcement.”
“Groups who oppose this position are criticizing me today over the political correctness of my statements, but I do not apologize for providing a clear explanation of Detroit’s position,” Duggan continued. “It is a position we have followed consistently through the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations.”
The groups that signed the press release included the African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs, American Citizens for Justice, the Caribbean Community Services Center, MI Poder, One Michigan for Immigrant Rights, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, and 1 Michigan for the Global Majority, according to The Detroit News.
At a press conference last Thursday, Duggan emphasized that Detroit is “not a sanctuary city” as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up arrests and deportations of criminal illegal immigrants.
“If you are in this country illegally, we should not be shielding you from ICE and federal enforcement, and the city of Detroit does not,” the mayor said, according to the Detroit Free Press. He added that Detroit police “have always cooperated with ICE.”
Duggan, a longtime Democrat mayor, announced in early December that he is running for Michigan governor in the 2026 election as an independent. He said Michigan is being “held back” by “political fighting” and “nonsense.”
ICE said on Monday that it had made 1,179 arrests in a single day, and had issued 853 detainers – requests that illegal immigrants in custody be turned over to ICE on release.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly told ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce Tuesday that every illegal immigrant has a “criminal record” because they violated U.S. law by entering the country.
“3,500 arrests ICE has made so far since President Trump came back into office. Can you just tell us the numbers, how many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally?” Bruce asked.
“All of them because they illegally broke our nation’s laws and therefore they are criminals as far as this administration goes,” Leavitt said. “I know the last administration didn’t see it that way, so it’s a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that’s what they are.”
READ NEXT: J6 Rioter Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop Hailed From Law Enforcement Family
America First Legal should sue all these NGOs that are aiding and abetting illegal aliens from Panama and beyond and within the country from Maine to San Diego. They should be charged with malfeasance for obtaining funds to facilitate the entry of illegal aliens by using different terms for them in lieu of the language for their identification in the Immigration and Naturalization Act.
Throw the book at them and then throw them in the slammer.
He means Illegal alien felons right