Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said Tuesday she is prepared to investigate and prosecute federal immigration officers if they violate the law after news surfaced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is opening an office in Southfield.<\/p>\n
McDonald\u2019s warning comes as immigrant advocates and Democratic leaders question the federal government\u2019s intentions for a leased office at One Towne Square near the M-10 and I-696 interchange<\/a>. While city officials say the space is designated for administrative and legal work, critics fear it could mean ICE is expanding in Southeast Michigan.<\/p>\n \u201cThe escalation by federal immigration officers in U.S. cities has created fear and uncertainty for public school officials, community leaders, and residents,\u201d McDonald said in a statement. \u201cICE\u2019s presence in Southfield will only heighten that fear.\u201d<\/p>\n McDonald added that \u201ceveryone in Oakland County\u201d is \u201centitled to basic constitutional rights, including the right to be free from unlawful arrest, regardless of immigration status.\u201d<\/p>\n McDonald said she has already provided guidance to local school districts on how to protect students and ensure they understand their constitutional rights.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am committed to working with Oakland County\u2019s local law enforcement to ensure everyone\u2019s rights are protected and that allegations of lawlessness \u2014 including by federal officers \u2014 are fully and transparently investigated by independent authorities,\u201d McDonald said. \u201cAs Oakland County Prosecutor, I will hold anyone who breaks the law accountable, no matter who they are. No one is above the law.\u201d<\/p>\n McDonald\u2019s response follows tension between local officials nationwide and federal immigration authorities. In Minnesota, state investigators recently said the FBI refused to share evidence in the fatal shooting investigations of Renee Good and Alex Pretti<\/a>, making it difficult for local authorities to independently review the cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Southfield, the controversy centers on a lease executed by the U.S. General Services Administration for office space to support ICE operations. The city said the space would be used for administrative and legal functions and that enforcement officers would not operate from the location.<\/p>\n Immigrant advocates and Democratic leaders, including U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, have admonished ICE\u2019s presence in Southfield.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cICE has no place in Michigan,\u201d Tlaib said in a statement<\/a> last week. \u201cThis is an unaccountable and violent agency that terrorizes and brutalizes our communities every day. We have all watched as ICE agents execute American citizens in broad daylight and detain and deport our immigrant neighbors with no regard for their wellbeing, right to due process, or the myriad other laws and court orders restricting their illegal operations.\u201d<\/p>\n Detroit attorney Mark Brewer suggested the office could be used to tamper with the November elections.<\/p>\n \u201cICE isn\u2019t coming to Southfield because it\u2019s a hotbed of illegal immigration (it ain\u2019t) but to make Southfield its headquarters for voter suppression in the fall elections on behalf of Trump and the GOP,\u201d Brewer said on X.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n