Washtenaw County prosecutor won’t help ICE deport noncitizens

February 26, 2021

Our new prosecutor issues a sensible and equitable mandate for Washtenaw County, MI. Good work Eli Savit!!

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – Effective immediately, a person’s immigration status does not matter to the criminal justice system in Washtenaw County.

Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit announced Wednesday, Feb. 24 that his office will not coordinate with federal immigration enforcement efforts, nor will it report noncitizen civilians, crime survivors, witnesses or defendants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), issuing a new policy directive on how his office will handle cases where previously a person’s immigration status would be in question.

“Today’s policy directive, fundamentally, is about building trust in our immigrant communities,” Savit wrote in an announcement. “We know that a fear of collaboration with federal law enforcement makes noncitizens less likely to report serious crimes. That makes all of us less safe.”

The policy also advises assistant prosecutors to avoid case outcomes which will adversely affect a defendant’s immigration status and to instead consider alternative dispositions for lower-level charges.