District 3 Detroit City Council member Scott Benson on Tuesday pushed back on some public commenters who have targeted Southwest Detroit member Gabriela Santiago-Romero over her ethnic background.
His comments, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. day, invoked the civil rights icon and others, including Nelson Mandela.
“Martin Luther King Jr., he was one of the greatest Americans who ever walked this planet. He loved Black people, yet he did not need to exclude or denigrate any others,” Benson said. “He said, ‘Call me a drum major for peace, call me a drum major for righteousness.’ You don’t have to hate others. This is not a zero sum game.”
Benson’s comments came after serial commenter Betty Lyons doubled down on offensive comments about Arab American immigrants, using a pronunciation of “Arab” that is considered offensive.
Lyons, who sits in the same front row seat to address council members in-person each week, has repeated rhetoric familiar to President Donald Trump’s administration, suggesting Santiago-Romero, a Mexican immigrant, should be deported.
She routinely makes offensive comments about other ethnic groups, such as Palestinians, Jews, and Hispanics.
Some Detroit residents have been on edge in the days after a Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minnesota shot and killed an unarmed protestor driving away from an apparent immigration raid.
Trump has increased immigration enforcement in Democratic states and cities in what his opponents say is motivated by political retribution rather than public safety.
In Detroit, where more than 75% of residents are Black, there is a sentiment held by some older, more conservative community members, that Black people shouldn’t interfere with the Republican-led effort to deport undocumented non-citizens.
Benson challenged public commenters to spread love for 14 days, or two council sessions as he put it.
“Pro-Blackness is rooted in self-affirmation rather than the exclusion of others,” Benson said. You can love us and not hate others.”
Santiago-Romero addressed Lyons during the first council session of the year earlier this month.
“I often ignore you, because you’re allowed to say whatever you want — I’m just telling you that your words do make an impact,” Santiago-Romero said. “They do hurt but I pray for you. I hope everything goes well for you but I’m going to continue to make sure I’m serving everybody.”
Last week, hundreds of people protesting ICE and Trump marched down Trumbull Avenue as the president took the stage at the Motor City Soundboard as part of a Detroit Economic Forum event.
Many of the protestors were in attendance for a packed council session where commenters urged council members to enact Sanctuary City policies that would prevent Detroit police officers from working with ICE.
Santiago-Romero has said such a proclamation could lead to the loss of federal funding, ultimately doing more harm than good.
