LANSING — The Michigan Supreme Court is considering a rule change that would limit the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in state courthouses.
The second Trump administration removed pre-existing policies that limited ICE’s operations at sensitive locations like places of worship, schools and courthouses.
Michigan is one of several states considering their own protections against ICE enforcement. The change as currently proposed would prohibit ICE from conducting courthouse arrests — within state court buildings — unless they have a warrant.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says that some of the state’s court operations have been derailed as a result of increased ICE activity.
”It disrupts criminal and civil cases alike,” Nessel, (D), said. “Firstly, we want people to be able to attend court hearings — whether you’re a victim, whether you are a witness, whether you’re a defendant in the case, we want you showing up.”
About 2,500 people submitted a public comment weighing in on the rule, with a majority of those appearing to support the change.
“We want people to be able to pursue justice and not worry about what’s going to happen if they go to court from the perspective of immigration enforcement,” Nessel said.
ICE did not respond to a request for information on the amount of courthouse arrests that have taken place in Michigan.
According to the Deportation Data Project, more than 2,300 ICE arrests have occurred overall in Michigan since Trump took office.
The Michigan Supreme Court is controlled 6-1 by Democratic-backed justices.
The court could make a decision on the rule at any point. They could also adopt changes to the rule or choose not to act on it.