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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Meeting – January 13, 2026: Public Comment on ICE Restrictions, Human Trafficking Prevention, and Appointments

City Council — Tuesday, January 13, 2026

BodyDetroit, Michigan

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, January 13, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:09:41

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:07

And Madam Clerk, will you please call the rope?

0:10

Councilmember Scott Benson.

0:14

Councilman Letitia Johnson present.

0:20

Councilman Maginziel McKimbell.

0:24

Councilman Renala Miller.

0:35

Councilman Mary Walters, present.

0:39

Councilman Angela Whitfield Calloway.

0:44

Council President Poe Tim Coleman Young the Second.

0:48

Here.

0:50

And Council President James Tate.

0:52

Here.

0:54

You have a corn president, Ms.

0:56

President.

0:56

Thank you.

0:57

We have a corn, which means we're now in session, and we will now have our invocation.

1:02

And the person I'm going to be bringing forward is someone who, yes, sir, please come forward.

1:06

Has probably had more years in his in his previous life, spent more years in this building than all of us combined.

1:14

And that was during the Coleman A.

1:16

Young era here when he was the mayor of the city of Detroit.

1:19

This is none other than Pastor Larry Simmons.

1:22

And we can take a remote.

1:38

Okay, you can hear me.

1:39

Yes, sir.

1:41

Just want to take a moment here.

1:44

Uh, as the president observed, I've spent many, many, many days and nights in this room.

1:51

Uh some with the council, some not so much.

1:58

But it is always special.

2:02

And I hope you will take the time to appreciate how special it is that you can show up before your elected representatives and lift signs to say what you want to say and stand and speak to them directly.

2:16

That is not to be taken for granted, as so many have for so long.

2:21

This freedom is precious, and it is watered with our blood.

2:28

To Council President Tate and to the Deuce, Coleman Young the Second, the President Pro Tim, to my longtime friend Mary Waters, to my new friend Angela Whitfield Callaway, to the councilman over my growing uphood, Scott Benson, the sister Letitia Johnson, my co-worker in community development, to Renata Miller.

3:05

To my sister Gabriela Santiago Romero, who is at this moment, I believe, in front of this building, standing before the spirit of Detroit and Liberty, speaking about those very things.

3:21

And to Denzel Anton McCampbell, one of our newest members, to each of you, good morning.

3:29

I congratulate you.

4:35

That means to invite God to these officers and leaders of our city into this meeting with the spirit of Detroit.

4:43

Now the Spirit of the Lord, now the Lord is that spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

4:53

Let us be still a moment and pray.

5:00

Lord Almighty, Holy One of Creation.

5:02

God of Andromeda and Angle.

5:06

God of our salvation.

5:09

I pray for the president of this country who will visit in our city today.

5:14

That this prayer will stretch out over him and touch his heart.

5:20

I pray for all the women and the men who donned the badge and wear the uniform, whose desire is to service and to protect us.

5:30

I pray for them.

5:32

I pray even for the stricken whose unwell spirits.

5:36

Lead them to shoot unarmed women and men.

5:46

Who along with all of us are immigrants here by choice or by force?

5:53

I pray for an Ashanabe, the original people, the original people upon whose land we stand.

6:04

I invoke the spirit of Second Corinthians and Liberty.

6:08

Not just for liberty, Lord, but for the defenders of liberty.

6:12

Not just for courage, but for the courageous.

6:15

Not just for peace, but for the peacemakers.

6:18

Not just for prosperity, but for the prosperity builders.

6:22

Not just for love, but for your love masters.

6:25

Not just for the council, but for these council persons.

6:29

Anoint them with your wisdom so they may legislate justly.

6:33

Anoint them with your discernment so they may see clearly.

6:37

Anoint their households with your protection, their families with your love, their staffs with your energy, and each with your calling to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with you.

6:50

I invoke you, Almighty God, in the name of my Savior.

6:55

His name is Jesus, and he is the Christ.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Immigrant Support████████████████████████████████32%

Public Safety█████████████████████21%

Public Comment██████████████████18%

Procedural████████████12%

Community Engagement█████5%

Human Trafficking████4%

Elections██2%

Public Transit█1%

Immigration█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Meeting – January 13, 2026: Public Comment on ICE Restrictions, Human Trafficking Prevention, and Appointments

The Detroit City Council convened on January 13, 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM. The meeting began with an invocation by Pastor Larry Simmons, followed by approval of the journal and referral of committee reports. The majority of the three‑hour session was dedicated to public comments on restricting ICE activity in Detroit, with over 100 written submissions and 73 speakers (38 in‑person and 35 online). Councilmembers discussed a memo from Councilmember Gabriela Santiago‑Romero to explore legal options for limiting ICE cooperation, and took actions on human trafficking prevention, task force re‑establishments, and mayoral appointments.

Consent Calendar

Approval of the journal of November 25, 2025.
Referral of multiple committee reports (budget, internal operations, neighborhood services, planning, public health) to respective standing committees.
Approval of resolutions 17.1–17.2 (internal operations) and 18.1–18.6 (public works petitions) without objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

Sanctuary City / ICE Restrictions: The vast majority of speakers urged the Council to adopt a sanctuary city ordinance and end Detroit Police Department (DPD) cooperation with ICE. Speakers cited recent ICE‑involved killings (Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan 7, Keith Porter on Dec 31, 2025), abductions of Detroit high school students, and the doubling of ICE abductions in Michigan to 2,300 per year. Many demanded a ban on ICE from city property, schools, and hospitals, and the adoption of a specific ordinance drafted by the Detroit Community Action Committee (DCAC). Supporters included members of DCAC, Detroit Jews for Justice, the People’s Assembly, and faith leaders.
Opposition to Sanctuary City: A few speakers (including Joyce Jennings and another caller) argued that Detroit has not been a sanctuary for Black residents and that resources should focus on long‑standing issues like police brutality and land bank abuses. One speaker accused the Council of prioritizing immigrants over Black Detroiters.
Other Issues: Topics also included the Detroit Divest Resolution (divesting city funds from companies profiting from war and genocide), the Code 22 peace initiative, concerns about Detroit Land Bank properties, the shortage of affordable housing, and the need for a supermarket in the Livernois area. One speaker reported that two men were taken by ICE near Warren during the meeting.

Discussion Items

Memo on ICE Restrictions (Councilmember Santiago‑Romero): The Council discussed a memo (not yet a resolution) to explore legal avenues to restrict ICE activity on city property and to gather data on DPD‑ICE cooperation. Councilmember Santiago‑Romero emphasized the need for a dual approach: legal protections and community mutual aid. She called for residents to document ICE sightings and share them with her office. Council President Tate stressed a strategic, thoughtful process to avoid unintended consequences (e.g., loss of federal funding). Councilmember Coleman Young II forcefully supported action, stating it was a moral obligation. Councilmember McCampbell and Johnson also expressed support.
Data Sharing Reports: Councilmember McCampbell made a motion (passed) for the Law Department to report on city contracts that allow sharing or selling of data to third‑party brokers or entities. Councilmember Santiago‑Romero made a separate motion (also passed) to identify city contracts with companies profiting from war, specifically mentioning Oracle.
Executive Order on Poverty (EOP): The Council referred the mayor’s EOP to the Law Department for a report, with a 60‑business‑day deadline for approval (calculated as April 7, 2026).
Mayoral Appointments: Seven appointees requiring Council confirmation were scheduled for an extended Internal Operations Committee hearing on January 23, 2026. Councilmember Whitfield‑Callaway requested colleagues to submit questions in advance.
Human Trafficking Prevention Month: A resolution recognizing January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month was approved. Councilmember Whitfield‑Callaway noted the installation of the first human trafficking hotline sign at a hotel, featuring a local 313 number.
Task Force Resolutions: Five resolutions re‑establishing task forces (Literacy, Retiree, Minority Business, Skilled Trades, Climate Resiliency) were approved. For the Climate Resiliency Task Force, Councilmember Letitia Johnson was added as chair, Councilmember Santiago‑Romero as co‑chair, and Councilmember Waters as member.

Key Outcomes

ICE Restrictions: No vote was taken on a sanctuary city ordinance. The Council will continue fact‑finding and legal strategy; a formal resolution is expected later. The Law Department will report on data‑sharing contracts and war‑profiteering contracts.
EOP Review: The Executive Order on Poverty will be reviewed by the Law Department, with a report due to the Council by April 7, 2026.
Appointments: A special Internal Operations Committee hearing is set for January 23, 2026, to interview seven mayoral appointees.
Human Trafficking Prevention: The Council unanimously approved the resolution and will distribute signs to Detroit hotels.
Task Forces: Five task forces were re‑established, with updated membership for the Climate Resiliency Task Force.
Community Engagement: Councilmembers announced upcoming town halls, coffee hours, and district meetings, including a Deed Fraud Protection Town Hall on January 31.

Meeting Transcript

And Madam Clerk, will you please call the rope? Councilmember Scott Benson. Councilman Letitia Johnson present. Councilman Maginziel McKimbell. Councilman Renala Miller. Councilman Mary Walters, present. Councilman Angela Whitfield Calloway. Council President Poe Tim Coleman Young the Second. Here. And Council President James Tate. Here. You have a corn president, Ms. President. Thank you. We have a corn, which means we're now in session, and we will now have our invocation. And the person I'm going to be bringing forward is someone who, yes, sir, please come forward. Has probably had more years in his in his previous life, spent more years in this building than all of us combined. And that was during the Coleman A. Young era here when he was the mayor of the city of Detroit. This is none other than Pastor Larry Simmons. And we can take a remote. Okay, you can hear me. Yes, sir. Just want to take a moment here. Uh, as the president observed, I've spent many, many, many days and nights in this room. Uh some with the council, some not so much. But it is always special. And I hope you will take the time to appreciate how special it is that you can show up before your elected representatives and lift signs to say what you want to say and stand and speak to them directly. That is not to be taken for granted, as so many have for so long. This freedom is precious, and it is watered with our blood. To Council President Tate and to the Deuce, Coleman Young the Second, the President Pro Tim, to my longtime friend Mary Waters, to my new friend Angela Whitfield Callaway, to the councilman over my growing uphood, Scott Benson, the sister Letitia Johnson, my co-worker in community development, to Renata Miller. To my sister Gabriela Santiago Romero, who is at this moment, I believe, in front of this building, standing before the spirit of Detroit and Liberty, speaking about those very things. And to Denzel Anton McCampbell, one of our newest members, to each of you, good morning. I congratulate you. That means to invite God to these officers and leaders of our city into this meeting with the spirit of Detroit. Now the Spirit of the Lord, now the Lord is that spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Let us be still a moment and pray. Lord Almighty, Holy One of Creation. God of Andromeda and Angle. God of our salvation. I pray for the president of this country who will visit in our city today. That this prayer will stretch out over him and touch his heart. I pray for all the women and the men who donned the badge and wear the uniform, whose desire is to service and to protect us. I pray for them. I pray even for the stricken whose unwell spirits. Lead them to shoot unarmed women and men. Who along with all of us are immigrants here by choice or by force? I pray for an Ashanabe, the original people, the original people upon whose land we stand. I invoke the spirit of Second Corinthians and Liberty. Not just for liberty, Lord, but for the defenders of liberty.

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