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Lansing City Council votes for sanctuary city designation

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The Lansing City Council has voted to designate Lansing as a sanctuary city for immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.

The resolution was approved unanimously Monday night.

Lansing had already deemed itself a "welcoming city" and doesn't have its police department ask people for their immigration status except as required by federal or state law or court decision. Mayor Virg Bernero before the meeting released a related executive order spelling out the city's policies.

President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw federal funding from sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Bernero said he is confident that Lansing's policies don't violate federal law, but "we are also prepared to take legal action to protect the prerogatives and powers of local government and local law enforcement."