First appearance on Fox: The Michigan Democrat, who is seeking to replace Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in the House, previously said he opposes the idea of local governments in the state reporting illegal immigrants to federal immigration authorities. and expressed support for Lansing’s decision to declare himself an illegal immigrant. Sanctuary city at the time.
The comments from Curtis Hertel Jr., who has served in the Michigan State Senate for eight years and is the only Democrat running to represent Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, were made during the campaign. April 2017 Conversations City Pulse – A news outlet serving the Greater Lansing area.
In a hypothetical situation involving an illegal immigrant being questioned by authorities during a routine traffic stop, Hertel describes a local law enforcement officer calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to inquire about the individual’s immigration status. He expressed his opinion that inquiries should not be made.
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Curtis Hertel Jr., a Democrat running to represent Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, has previously suggested that local governments should not report illegal immigrants to ICE. (Curtis Hertel Campaign, Getty Images)
“First of all, I don’t like the word ‘illegal,'” Hertel said. “Many of these people have been here for a long time. Many of them did not choose to come here. They were brought here as children. These are people who, in my opinion, risked a lot and made sacrifices and just wanted to come here.” “Participating in the American experience means that among Americans, many of us are here.” They’ve earned a status that they haven’t earned just by being born. They want America. So, no, I don’t think we should call ICE and actually get involved. “I don’t do that process. ”
Hertel served as part of Lansing’s seat in the state Senate from 2015 to 2023. He told City Pulse that he believed Lansing had no “responsibility as an immigration officer.”
But Hertel said at the time that he supports contacting federal immigration authorities when undocumented immigrants have committed a crime and are “dangerous,” calling it “perfectly reasonable.”
Hertel’s remarks came days after the Lansing City Council passed a resolution declaring Lansing a sanctuary city. The controversial declaration was later rescinded amid growing divisions in the city, according to reports. detroit free press.
Asked about the City Council’s decision at the time, Hertel said, “The city of Lansing does not want its police officers to be immigration officers.”
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Migrants wait to be processed by Customs and Border Protection after crossing the Rio Grande River into the United States from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, Oct. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
He told City Pulse: “They don’t want their immigration status to be determined by police officers, and I think that’s probably a good thing… Asking people to submit documents and things like that makes Lansing an unwelcoming place for people who look different.” could be” than you or me. We don’t want that in Lansing. ”
The decision to declare Lansing a sanctuary city was reversed, but the City Council East Lansing voted. It was declared a sanctuary city last year. Last month, the Detroit Free Press reported that four Michigan counties – Ingham, Kalamazoo, Kent and Wayne (Michigan’s most populous counties) – were designated safe havens for illegal immigrants.
“As I said in that interview, the federal government should ensure that ICE has the authority to deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes,” Hertel said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Unlike my opponents, who are only interested in using the border as a campaign tactic, I am pushing for a bipartisan border security agreement in Congress that gives immigration authorities the resources and funding they need to do their jobs. I’m willing to work with anyone to achieve this.”
After Slotkin announced in February 2023 that he would run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Hertel announced last July that he would run for Michigan’s 7th Senate seat in February 2023. He announced that he would participate in the election campaign on behalf of the district. The district includes all of Ingham, Livingston, Clinton, and Shiawassee counties, as well as portions of Oakland and Eaton counties.
Mr. Hertel, who is seen as the Democratic candidate for the district, has the support of Mr. Slotkin and several other Democrats in the state, and previously served as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s legislative director. .
Two former Michigan senators are running for office in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District: Republican Tom Barrett (left) and Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr. (AP Photo/File)
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Hertel is likely to face Republican candidate Tom Barrett, the only Republican candidate at the moment, in the Nov. 5 state general election. The state’s primary election is scheduled to be held on August 6th.
Barrett announced her candidacy for the election last July. He challenged Mr. Slotkin in the 2022 midterm elections, but lost in the general election by a margin of 20,000 votes.
