GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A police chief in western Michigan is urging members of the area’s immigrant community to ignore fears of deportation if they become crime victims.
Grand Rapids police Chief David Rahinsky told a meeting at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan on Monday that his department is “not concerned with your immigration status.” The Grand Rapids Press reports he says immigrants “do not need to be afraid to call us.”
The comments come amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration and uncertainty about how local police agencies might change how they work.
The Hispanic Center’s board President Cesar Gonzalez says the event sought to alleviate tension and to stop the spread of misinformation about immigration policy. He says it’s important to “educate people on what their rights are.”
