Michigan City Reverses Sanctuary Status

Lansing, Michigan is no longer a safe haven for illegal immigrants after the city council voted on Wednesday to rescind its sanctuary status.

The 5-2 vote came a week after council members voted 6-0 in favor of giving the city sanctuary status, but the backlash, particularly among businesses, was swift.

Lansing Regional Chamber and Michigan Chamber of Commerce wrote to council members after the first vote, concerned about the negative attention the move would draw to the city.

"Lansing is a diverse community, rich with history and culture. It's what makes our city a welcoming destination to live, work and thrive," the letter says. "Recent actions of City Council, whether intended or not, have placed an unnecessary target on the City of Lansing while jeopardizing millions of dollars in federal funding that impacts the city budget."

Michigan’s Chamber President and CEO Richard Studley also asked that the council members stop focusing on “costly political statements” and instead turn to addressing “real economic issues.”

"I have no problem with the earlier resolution that affirmed the city's status as a welcoming city," Studley said. "The challenge is with the language declaring the city a 'sanctuary city' — adopted hastily with little debate. I think that it is easily misinterpreted or misunderstood."

The Republican-controlled state legislature is currently considering whether to ban local governments from enacting sanctuary policies.