ICE has confirmed an arrest in Lansing

Two apparent immigration actions near E. Cesar Chavez Avenue in Lansing on June 19 were, according to a local activist group, the first publicly known ICE operations in the area this year.

A male from El Salvador was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Friday, June 19th, at 303 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. in Lansing, during a targeted vehicle stop, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security.

The DHS spokesperson, who didn’t identify themselves, said in an email that the person arrested “admitted that he illegally entered the U.S. in 2020” and that there was a final judicial order of removal to Guatemala on June 9th, 2026. 

The arrested individual is currently in ICE custody at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, according to the DHS website. It is the largest ICE prison in the Midwest, located in a rural, wooded area on the west side of the Lower Peninsula. North Lake is operated by the private prison corporation GEO Group. With a capacity of 1,800 inmates, the prison has had numerous complaints of abuse, lack of food, lack of medical care, and slow immigration processes and of keeping immigrants detained for up to six months or more.

On the same day as that arrest, videos shared on social media show an apparent immigration raid on a home near E. Cesar Chavez, conducted by agents wearing ICE and Enforcement and Removal Operations patches.

A female witness in the neighborhood told a freelancer for City Pulse that the agents were looking for someone who no longer lived there. The agents took someone anyway and began following others in the area. 

“More than 10 cars were circling the area,” said the witness, who declined to give her name for fear of reprisals. “At first, we suspected it was ICE, so we called the police about the suspicious cars, but they didn’t do anything. They just circled the area once the police left, and then about nine more cars arrived.”

“We feel afraid,” she said. “We are afraid of not returning home and leaving our family behind.”

DHS did not respond to requests for comments regarding the videos of the apparent immigration raid.

The Lansing Police Department did not reply to requests about whether they knew about any of the immigration enforcement actions within the city. 

Scott Bean, Lansing city spokesperson, said the city was not aware of any immigration enforcement that day in the area.

“ICE does not have to let us know if they are operating in Lansing,” Bean said. “So we have no information about their activities. The City of Lansing has no information and was not contacted in advance about the alleged detainment of an individual last week.”

Bean said the City of Lansing and the LPD operate under “an Executive Order that makes it clear that the enforcement of immigration law is the responsibility of the Federal Government.”  He said the LPD is not tasked with enforcing civil immigration laws, and the  immigration status of any individual is “immaterial with respect to LPD’s mission statement and core values.”

Lansing Migra Watch, an advocacy group for immigrant rights, said in a statement to City Pulse that Lansing is fortunate to have seen less ICE activity than other parts of the state over the past year, with these actions being the first publicly known acts since last year.

“Last week’s attack is a reminder that the threat is very real,” Lansing Migra Watch said in the statement. “Every person stolen is a tragedy. Neighbors must be prepared to defend each other, as we have seen the power of this in cities across the country.”

As they always warn, the federal immigration agency clarified that “being in detention is a choice.” They encouraged any “illegal aliens” to self-deport with the CBP Home App. A DHS spokesperson said the government is offering  $2,600 and a free flight for those who self-deport.

“We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S.  the right legal way to live the American dream,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “ If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”

The Migra Watch team recommended that if residents see ICE or Border Patrol, or potential ICE/CBP, call their hotline at 517-742-2756. They have English and Spanish-speaking hotline operators, and hope to cover more languages soon. “Reach out if you are fluent in more languages and potentially interested in becoming an operator,” the team said. 

Bean said the mayor’s office has put together an ‘Immigration Toolkit’ page on the City’s website that provides links and information that may be helpful to residents at:

www.lansingmi.gov/1390/City-of-Lansing-Immigration-Toolkit