EAST LANSING, Mich — East Lansing is standing by its sanctuary city status after being named on a Department of Justice list, with potential federal funding implications.
- East Lansing became Michigan's first sanctuary city in 2023.
- City Councilmember Mark Meadows says they have no plans to change their policies.
- The city received a $1.5 million DOJ grant last year for public safety enhancements.
East Lansing approved a resolution to become a sanctuary city in 2023, making it the first city in Michigan to do so.
WATCH: East Lansing defends sanctuary city status despite DOJ pressure
At Tuesday's city council meeting, Councilmember Mark Meadows addressed the news that East Lansing was included in the Department of Justice's list of sanctuary cities across the country, stating the council has no plans to change that status.
"Be aware that we don't plan on changing any of our policies in regard to this. I don't know what he's going to do... we should expect something to come our way and we will defend it at that point in time," Meadows said.
The designation could potentially impact federal funding for the city. Looking at another sanctuary city, Louisville, Kentucky, provides some insight into what might happen. Louisville revoked its sanctuary status after receiving a letter from the Department of Justice.
In that letter to Louisville, the DOJ stated that the U.S. Attorney General would identify sanctuary cities and "recommend those jurisdictions to the Office of Management and Budget for termination of grants, contracts, and federal funds as appropriate."
While East Lansing has not yet received a similar letter, city financial documents show that East Lansing received a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Justice last budget year for public safety enhancements, which gives some insight into what may be impacted in the future.
I reached out to both Meadows and City Manager Robert Belleman, but was told the city has no comment.
No action has been taken yet against East Lansing.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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