A western Michigan Police Chief is doing his best to try to convince members of the immigrant community living in his area that they should not hesitate to call police if they become victims of crime out of fear that they will end up being swept up for deportation from the US.
On Monday, David Rahinsky, the Police Chief of Grand Rapids, went to a Hispanic Center of Michigan meeting. There, he attempted to assure immigrants that the police department under his watch had no interest in the legal status of area residents. According to reports from the Grand Rapids Press, Rahinsky told immigrants that they should not be afraid to contact police with information or complaints relating to any crime.
Rahinsky made the comments in the wake of an increasing crackdown on immigration and undocumented immigrants by President Donald Trump and his administration. This has also resulted in uncertainty and confusion in the immigrant community about how the work practices of local police departments might change due to the new policies.
The event at the Hispanic Center of Michigan was an attempt to reduce some of that uncertainty, according to the board president of the Center, Cesar Gonzalez. Gonzalez says that there has been much misinformation about immigration policy under the new administration and that the event was an effort to educate immigrants about the reality of their legal rights in the US.