By Charles Sercombe
During President Trump’s first term in 2017, there was concern among city officials about his deportation plan for immigrants.
And there was also anger back then over Trump’s travel ban on countries with a majority Muslim population – including Yemen, where the mayor and some city councilmembers emigrated from.
Flash forward to today, and Trump is back in office and planning a massive round-up and deportation of undocumented immigrants. This time around, however, the mayor and all members of Hamtramck’s city council are all male, all Muslim, and all immigrants and they are not saying a word now about Trump’s deportation plan.
In fact, many of Hamtramck’s Muslim immigrants have embraced Trump, and supported him for president.
Although Hamtramck never adopted the concept of being a “sanctuary” city for immigrants, there were protections made.
In 2008, the city passed a resolution, still in effect today, forbidding police officers from profiling, or from allowing officers or city employees to inquire about a person’s immigration status.
It also allows undocumented immigrants to receive city services.
The public school district has designated itself as a “sanctuary,” and will not share immigrant status of its students with authorities.
While Trump was in office in 2017, Councilmember Mohammed Hassan, who is still in office today, dismissed Trump’s threat of mass deportations, saying:
“Nobody can send anybody anywhere – not even the president.”
And then-Councilmember Anam Miah added: “This is a city of brotherly love.”
Also, later in Trump’s first term, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting undocumented immigrants and those with criminal convictions in six states.
At the time, ICE officials said the crackdown was routine.
So why is the Muslim community in Hamtramck largely silent on the latest deportation plan?
Many in that community turned against the Democrats and President Biden for his administration’s supplying weapons for Israel’s war on Gaza, where now about 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in that conflict.
Trump, however, has also been a loyal and strident supporter of Israel, and its conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
There is a cease-fire in Gaza for now, but considering the volatile political climate in that region, it could fall apart at any moment, observers say.
As for the mass deportation plans of Trump’s second term, some state and city leaders across the country, such as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, say they will not allow their police officers and agencies to assist ICE.
So, if ICE and other agents sweep into Hamtramck, which has long been home to newly arrived immigrants, some of whom are here legally but others illegally, will city officials cooperate?
That issue has not been discussed among the council or by Mayor Amer Ghalib, who personally urged Muslims in the Detroit area to support Trump.
The Review twice reached out to Ghalib, who emigrated from Yemen, to ask whether he would assist the Trump administration’s immigration policy, but he did not respond. Ghalib endorsed Trump for president, and may be appointed to a position in the Trump administration.
Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri, who is also an immigrant from Yemen, said his department will give limited assistance.
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the United States,” Altaheri said.
“The Hamtramck Police Department will not investigate or arrest people based on their immigration status, and our officers will not ask questions about anyone’s immigration status,” he said.
“The Hamtramck Police Department is not required to enforce immigration laws, but will assist the federal government if suspected individuals pose any safety risk to the City of Hamtramck.”
Immigrant advocates are advising those who are challenged by ICE agents at their household to do the following:
o Don’t open your door.
o Ask to see a copy of a warrant through the window or have it slipped under a door. The document should have the signature of a judge and the name of the person being sought.
o If they do enter your dwelling, remain silent.
o Do not answer questions or sign any papers without your attorney being present.
Posted Jan. 24, 2025
This article was updated from the print issue.
The mighty Aziz
January 25, 2025 at 7:36 am
we all know that the artsy people of hamtramck want us gone. We all know they manipulated the mayor into supporting trump. we all know they are working undercover to get us deported but we will chain ourselves to lightposts and to american flagpoles because we are american and the artsy people of hamtramck can’t deny are american identity.
jack
January 25, 2025 at 11:11 am
if the mayor wasn’t alienated by many people in Hamtramck because of the flag controversy, then perhaps (and a strong perhaps) he would have endorsed Kamal Harris for president. But there was a split; a split with plenty of sulking and this lead him, i feel, to turn to Trump for guidance both out of him and his people being isolated and a personal vendetta to get back at many people in Hamtramck for their sulking attitude. If the flag issue was drastic where a resolution was passed that stated it was undesirable to see any LGBTQ flag anywhere even on private property, then these people would have had a strong argument against the mayor but the issue was city property and he was elected so for four years city property is his property. Now, look at the mess we have. He wasn’t the only one who endorsed trump but those who endorsed Kamala harris also endorsed trump by the sulking attitude towards the mayor. They should have known better. They have more political experience and more american experience. They have been americans longer. They should have taken this immigrant (mayor) by the hand and said to him, we’re over the flag not being up on city hall, now let’s work together to defeat Trump. You won’t see LGBTQ suicides going up because the mayor pulled down their city hall flag but you will see the suicides spike when the president strips them of every right that he can possibly strip them of.
Jonas
January 26, 2025 at 1:01 pm
It is unlikely there are any illegal residents in Hamtramck. If there are, they are not Muslisms or Arabs. They are from Eastern European countries or Russia. This would be very rare.
The many ethnic restaurants and coney islands over the decades were the employers of choice for the illegals since they were paid in cash off the books and there was no paper trail. The Ukrainian credit unions also take members with no social security number needed just saying.
Olga
February 7, 2025 at 2:11 pm
In response to Jonas’ remark on Jan 26 2025
This is how disinformation gets spread. If you bothered to look into membership eligibility in any of the Ukrainian credit unions, you would see that they require physical copies of a person’s SSN card.
By-the-way, since the invasion of Ukraine by russia in 2022, the Ukrainian refugees living in the USA, specifically, in Hamtramck are all here legally.
Check out the USMFCU website for membership eligibility and requirements. Also, all the credit unions are under the supervision of NCUA (National Credit Union Administration) and comply with US banking regulations
Brian
February 10, 2025 at 1:33 pm
In response to Jack. That is ridiculous, it is the creepy mayor who did all he could to alienate all of the residents of Hamtramck who aren’t Yemeni muslims. It’s not about the flag, it’s that it is clear that the mayor prefers strongmen types and conservative politics offered by Trump, and shares much personal politics with him and republicans in general.
You said he had to “turn to Trump” because of all the sulking? Absurd! We Are all adults here, responsible for our own emotions.
“He wasn’t the only one who endorsed trump but those who endorsed Kamala harris also endorsed trump by the sulking attitude towards the mayor.”
That makes no sense, what’s with the word “sulking”? everyone needs to grow up.
This is 100% about the mayors mixed up priorities, he would happily see undocumented Yemenis and Bangladeshis rounded up and deported as long as he gets to troll gay people, women, black people, and especially white liberals who he seems to hate the most.
The Mayor wouldn’t care if his buddy Trump wiped out the population of Gaza ant turned it into a resort as long as he has his “win” on the stupid rainbow flag “controversy” here in town.
Do you really think “They should have taken this immigrant (mayor) by the hand and said to him, we’re over the flag not being up on city hall, now let’s work together to defeat Trump.” would have worked at all? The mayor is a Trump -SUPPORTER- The mayor is a conservative. I doubt he would deign to touch the hand of an infidel.