Given the current climate in the United States, it makes sense that many citizens believe it is time to protect each other.

Did you know that the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois have sanctuary laws?

Should Grand Rapids add its name to the list?

What Is A Sanctuary City?

There is no set definition of what a sanctuary city is. However, according to Global Refuge, it is when a sanctuary city occurs that local or state government limits or redefines what information they share with immigrant law officers.

Federation for American Immigration Reform explains that only 11 out of 50 states declare themselves as "sanctuary states."

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Illinois
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • District of Columbia

Grand Rapids As A Sanctuary City

With the current Trump Administration, GR Rapid Response to ICE is "urging the City of Grand Rapids to declare itself a Sanctuary City," according to an Instagram post.

The Rapid Response team believes that declaring Grand Rapids a Sanctuary City would send a clear message of solidarity. It would involve the city committing to protect undocumented immigrants by refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts to detain or deport residents.

Immigrants are vital contributors to our community — from harvesting food, building homes, and providing healthcare to enriching our schools and neighborhoods. Protecting them means protecting the vibrancy of our city.

Besides the urgency for Grand Rapids to become a Sanctuary City, GR Rapid Response to ICE is also calling for Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) to pass a Sanctuary Schools resolution.

The resolution "would require the school district to not only protect our students from any ICE action on school property and events, but to also work with community partners to provide resources, training, and support when ICE violence is encountered, up to and including possible deportation."

If GRPS were to pass a Sanctuary Schools resolution, teachers and additional school staff would be trained on different methods to keep ICE out of the schools. Additionally, public support for restoring driver's licenses for undocumented individuals would allow parents to safely transport their children to school and other extracurricular activities.

This would designate Grand Rapids schools as safe spaces where ICE actions are prohibited. It would also ensure that students and families impacted by immigration enforcement receive resources and support.

Fear of deportation disrupts children’s ability to learn and thrive, creating ripples of anxiety throughout entire classrooms. By establishing sanctuary schools, GRPS would affirm its commitment to providing a safe, nurturing environment for all students.

Want to send your letter or email, you can do so on the Action Network's website.

For more information, visit GR Rapid Response to ICE on Facebook (@RapidResponseGR), Instagram (@grrapidresponse), or email info@grrapidresponsetoice.org.

This is What AI Think a Typical Day in Grand Rapids, Michigan Looks Like

I asked Canva's Magic Studio to help me out and show me what it thought a typical day in Grand RapidsMichigan looks like. It's... wild. And further shows that while AI can be useful, it's not as good as an actual, skilled human.

Gallery Credit: Wendy Reed

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