Hazel Park is defending its “friendly city” motto after police responded to a call for help from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who had chased a man into an Amazon processing facility.
The incident happened just after 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 2 when an ICE agent called police to ask for a vehicle to be towed.
The ICE agent told police they’d been pursuing an individual who leapt from a moving vehicle and fled on foot into the Amazon facility at 1400 E. 10 Mile Road. The vehicle hit other vehicles in the parking lot and the person they were pursuing ran into Amazon’s building.
“ICE attempted to follow but was stopped by Amazon security. ICE chose to wait,” the city’s statement said. “Realizing they had an intruder in their secured area, Amazon subsequently allowed ICE in to take the subject into custody.”
That was before Hazel Park police arrived and told the Amazon and ICE officials the vehicle was on private property. The company would have to call a private towing company and the police would file a standard towing report.
Full text of Hazel Park’s statement posted online Feb. 5, 2026, responding to the Feb. 2 ICE incident at Amazon. (Screenshot)
“The Hazel Park Police Department has not worked in conjunction with ICE or Border Patrol to actively look for violators of immigration law,” the city said in a statement posted to social media on Wednesday. “The HPPD has not accompanied federal immigration agents on sweeps, or to residences in Hazel Park or elsewhere to conduct immigration enforcement, nor have we been asked to do so.”
The city’s statement noted that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and the city does not have any type of contract or memorandum of understanding with federal immigration agencies. Some municipalities have signed a 287 (g) agreement, which gives local law enforcement training and authority to enforce immigration law.
The city concluded its statement by emphasizing that its police officers are “committed to public safety, maintaining peace, and fairly enforcing all laws. Ensuring the safety of our Hazel Park community is our primary objective.”
The statement went viral, garnering well over 500 responses reflecting a wide range of feelings about the incident and current controversy about immigration and enforcement. Many of the responses were from Michigan residents.
Resident Xavier Guerra wrote “Got to love ice and all the great work they do, next we got to get Dearborn fixed up.”
Several people, many from other communities, responded. Fellow Hazel Park resident Lex Gulli-Neff responded to Guerra with “You’re disgusting. I hope they come for your family and you next. Since they don’t care if you’re a citizen or not.”
Nick Corbishdale of Royal Oak wrote “If ‘please dont protest and burn my city’ was a facebook post…”