Uncertainty Hangs Around East Lansing’s Sanctuary City Status Weeks After Trump’s Threats

Speaking in Detroit on Jan. 13, President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions starting in February. The announcement got the attention of local leaders in East Lansing, the only Michigan municipality on the Department of Justice’s list of sanctuary jurisdictions. 

If federal funds were cut off from East Lansing, it would have a major impact, City Manager Robert Belleman said after Trump’s threat. Belleman said an analysis by city staff found as much as $52 million locally could be impacted.

The city receives federal grant money for a variety of purposes, from infrastructure projects to road repairs and public safety. Federal dollars can be distributed as one-time payments, given over a number of years or as reimbursement payments, Belleman explained. 

Going back to his first term in office, Trump has threatened to withhold funding from sanctuary jurisdictions frequently, with such attempts often being blocked by courts. Belleman said it’s unclear if Trump’s recent threat will be more impactful than previous ones, but he, city staff and city attorneys will continue to monitor the situation. 

On Jan. 23, Trump signed new legislation that will allocate more than $470,000 to East Lansing, Belleman said. According to U.S. Rep. for Michigan Tom Barrett’s website, these funds will be used to replace security cameras and make security enhancements in city buildings. 

East Lansing adopted its sanctuary city status three years ago, but has not collaborated with federal immigration agents for decades. 

Early in 2023, the East Lansing City Council voted 3-1 to adopt a resolution declaring East Lansing a sanctuary city. Councilmember George Brookover voted against the resolution, partially because he said he worried it would make the city a political target. 

Legally, the term “sanctuary city” doesn’t mean anything, Michigan State University law professor David Thronson explained to ELi in an interview last year. Different sanctuary municipalities have different resolutions defining their status. 

East Lansing’s resolution says “in a manner consistent with State and Federal law” East Lansing employees and law enforcement will not work with federal agents solely to enforce federal immigration laws. Belleman clarified that East Lansing police will work with federal agents if presented with a warrant that is signed by a judge. 

In an interview last year, Councilmember Mark Meadows told ELi that East Lansing has had policies similar to those laid out in the sanctuary city ordinance since 2001.

“The first person who did that was the police chief at that time, Lou Muhn, who refused to cooperate with federal agents who had asked the city police department to start, essentially, stopping anybody who looked like a Muslim and try to determine if they could be here illegally,” he said. 

In 2017, early in Trump’s first term, East Lansing adopted a resolution declaring itself a “Safe Haven” for immigrants. The resolution states the city is continuing its “longstanding policy of refusal to participate with federal authorities in the widespread and unjust violation of the rights of individuals based on religion, national origin, immigrant or refugee status.”

When the sanctuary city resolution was passed in 2023, supporters said it was important because the protections offered by a sanctuary city are more broadly understood than the protections offered by a safe haven. The sanctuary city resolution acknowledges in its text that the title change may make the city a political target. 

“Many cities that support undocumented residents, including the City of East Lansing, declared themselves ‘safe havens’ rather than ‘Sanctuary Cities’, due to potential withholding of funding from jurisdictions that declared themselves ‘Sanctuary Cities,’” the resolution reads. 

Last August, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote former Mayor George Brookover, telling him East Lansing has been identified as a jurisdiction that has “sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States,” ordering the city to take actions to end these policies. 

Brookover responded to Bondi with a letter defending the city’s resolution, saying it does not violate the federal laws she outlined in her letter. 

“After speaking with our city manager and police chief I also can confirm that we are unaware of any specific action by a city employee or law-enforcement official that has in fact impeded or thwarted federal immigration enforcement in the City of East Lansing, nor is there an intent to do so,” Brookover wrote.

“I therefore respectfully request that you remove the City of East Lansing from the list referenced in your letter,” Brookover concludes in his letter.

Members of City Council are mulling their options.

With Trump’s threat to withhold funding catching the attention of city leaders, ELi reached out to each member of City Council to ask if they would consider repealing East Lansing’s sanctuary city resolution. All but Meadows responded. 

Councilmember Kerry Ebersole Singh told ELi via text that the city’s sanctuary city ordinance is “top of mind” for her. 

“My responsibility is to keep residents safe, manage financial risk, and uphold the values of this community without bending to a federal administration whose actions are increasingly out of step with both constitutional principles and the values of East Lansing,” Singh wrote.

Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Grigsby said “everything’s on the table” with the ordinance. He said he will prioritize protecting the city’s interests and community feedback. He added he will continue to monitor the legal circumstances surrounding the ordinance and Trump’s threats. 

“At the end of the day, we’re in a climate where we have to make adjustments as things come along,” Grigsby said. 

Councilmember Steve Whelan raised concern about East Lansing’s sanctuary city status before he was elected last year. At a candidate forum he said the resolution could wrongfully send a message that the city can provide housing and other services – a concern that existed on council when the resolution passed in 2023. 

Whelan said he still has this concern, but he would weigh community feedback and legal circumstances before making a decision on the ordinance. He stressed that he believes East Lansing should remain a welcoming city. 

Whelan added that during his 25 years working for the East Lansing Police Department, he never asked someone about their immigration status. 

Mayor Erik Altmann said he is monitoring the situation but declined to comment further.

With Whelan and Grigsby stressing community feedback, ELi followed up by asking Altmann if he would consider putting the city’s sanctuary city status on a discussion-only meeting agenda or having the city host a forum to share information about the resolution and gather feedback. 

“The resolution and the correspondence with the DOJ are in the public domain, and we certainly welcome community feedback,” Altmann wrote in an email response.