Michigan GOP targets immigration ‘sanctuaries’

Michigan GOP targets immigration ‘sanctuaries’
Republican state lawmakers want to block cities from sheltering immigrants from federal agents, an effort sparked by the recent shooting death of a California woman by an undocumented immigrant.
They are working on legislation that would bar state funding to communities that adopt so-called “sanctuary city” policies.
More than 200 cities nationwide have adopted policies that shelter people in the U.S. without papers, but only two are in Michigan — Detroit and Ann Arbor.
...democrats and immigration lawyers are opposed to the efforts, saying the proposed ban would damage relations between law enforcement and residents.
...Nationally and in Michigan, the number of federal requests for detainment of immigrants here illegally is on the decline, and it’s unclear why.
ICE requested 100,000 fewer detainers nationwide between 2012 and 2014, a 39 percent decline, according to Justice Department statistics.
In Michigan, the drop is even greater.
Between 2012 and 2014, the number of detainers issued by ICE fell 53 percent.
Only 18 detainer requests were issued to Detroit police precincts during that period. 
That’s half as many as the much smaller city of Dearborn...