Residents in Southwest Detroit invited mayoral candidates to a community forum where their issues, like how the city treats small businesses, environmental and infrastructural concerns, plus immigration enforcement.
The discussion, held Saturday, July 19, inside the Hispanic Community Development Corporation building at 1211 Trumbull, brought out around a hundred mostly undecided voters.
Former police chief James Craig, activist DaNetta Simpson and Triumph Church pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. were the only candidates out of the nine-person field to not attend.
Immigration rights activist Sergio Martinez told Michigan Chronicle at the event Saturday the community mayoral forum was a chance for Southwest Detroit residents to air their frustrations with the city after a historic flood caused by a 50-year old water main that broke, resulting in millions of dollars in damages. The city championed its response, but some who spoke at the event said they are still dealing with the fallout of the infrastructural failure.
Martinez says community members don’t believe city and police leaders who say the Detroit Police Department doesn’t cooperate with ICE, particularly after DPD were called to respond to protestors who federal agents said were interfering with federal officials. The incident on June 30 sparked backlash from activists at City Council who questioned whether the police department was following its own policies, which prohibits asking about immigration status through racial profiling.
“We need someone who’s not going to turn on us like (Mayor) Mike Duggan did,” Martinez said. “We need somebody who’s going to actually hear and be a champion for our people.”
During the event, the audience heard an emotional story from Southwest homeowner Laticia Rodriguez, who detailed the ramifications for what she said was a delayed response to the water main break that made national headlines
A 54-inch steel water main break spilled hundreds of gallons of water into the streets, damaging homes and businesses.
Rodriguez slammed Duggan for championing the city’s flood response, when she says many residents including herself are still without reimbursement.
While Kinloch didn’t attend the mayoral forum Saturday, he did make a statement on immigration enforcement through a campaign spokesperson, saying he “stand up and fight” when “human dignity is under attack.”
Duggan has said in interviews he supports ICE removing criminals, but would oppose activity by federal immigration agents that led to a “climate of fear.”
Two candidates, Detroit City Council president Mary Sheffield and council member Fred Durhal III, suggested beefing up the city’s Office of Immigration Affairs.
Durhal said one of the things that he would focus on as mayor is establishing multiple liaisons that go through each community to establish and rebuild trust.
“Some folks who are advocates in this room that you already trust, because it is not easy to call for city services, and you live in fear,” Durhal said. “Many in our community live in fear each and every day to just get basic city services.”
He wants to develop anonymous community liaisons within the Office of Immigrant Affairs, “Because I know folks still fear that their information, their addresses, may be shared, and so we will because it’s not just Southwest Detroit.
“In District 7, I have a huge immigrant community,” Durhal said.
Sheffield said she would expand the city’s Detroit ID program that was implemented by former Southwest councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez.
“We will ensure that the office also has language access is embedded or throughout city government, and we will continue to provide as many pathways to citizenship as possible in a quick and efficient way,” Sheffield said. “And so we will continue to empower all of our immigrant communities to feel seen safe, supported and safe, and we will do all that we can to do that and ensure that there is representation in this community, not just at a crisis, but consistent engagement.”
ICE data shows 483 people were deported in Michigan between January and June, 2025. Most of those arrested and deported had not been convicted of a crime.
Here’s what the rest of the candidates said about how they would deal with ICE enforcement if elected mayor:
Joel Haashiim: “I respect self determination of all people, and I fought my whole life for people to represent their themselves, their culture. So I respect that, and I will do all that I can to make sure that that is never infringed on. It has happened too much in this country.”
John Barlow: “People’s rights are being totally trampled — it’s becoming an atmosphere of fear. I will not as your next mayor stand by and be silent. Our leaders continue to have that platform and the microphone to bring attention while those ICE officers are trying to covertly get into our communities. I won’t stand by it.”
Fred Durhal III: “I think oftentimes we forget that we are a nation of immigrants first and foremost, and that, particularly this city, is unique in a lot of ways, one of the strongest immigrant communities in the country, city of Detroit. What I will say is this, and this has always been my stance has not changed. Our police department needs to be focused on keeping all of our residents safe. That’s it. Not co-operating or trying to do the job of ICE. They have their own job to do.”
Saunteel Jenkins: “Whether you work in immigration or not, you should understand the rights of our residents. You should understand where to call and as a city, we need to provide more funding to make sure we have enough immigration attorneys to help protect our citizens. And last but certainly not least, absolutely not Detroit police officers should not help ice to detain people based on their immigration status, they should be focused on keeping our cities safe.”
Todd Perkins: “I will activate our civil rights department. We ask for the courts to step in and stop these processes. Now, I won’t use the Detroit Police Department with ICE, but I will use the Detroit Police Department to monitor ICE as they go and as they come into our city to ensure safety… I will make sure that our city also has the services so that people who are approached and don’t speak the language, because if you don’t speak the language, you have no understanding, so therefore, you have no ability to protect your constitutional rights.”
Mary Sheffield: “I am a firm believer that no one should have to live in fear of separation from their family, going to church, going to school, going to their work of business… No, Detroit Police Department would never assist any efforts of ICE or the federal administration through ICE. We also will ensure that no city resources or staff is assisting in any federal immigration efforts. Because the mayor directs DPD in the chief, if there’s any officers who are racially profiling, we will ensure there is public transparency and accountability around any racial profiling.”
Solomon Kinloch: “We will follow the law with respect to coordination when requested with existing protocols. Enforcing immigration law is not the role of local government. Federal agencies have the authority and responsibility to enforce immigration laws across the country, including in Detroit. That said, if our people’s rights are being violated, if they are denied due process, or their human dignity is under attack, I will stand up and fight. Everyone deserves equal protection under the law and my administration will not stand by as pain and suffering are inflicted upon our community. I will do everything in my power to ensure everyone’s rights are protected and respected.”
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