LANSING, Mich. — Sens. Jim Runestad and Joseph Bellino on Thursday called on the Michigan Senate to withhold state dollars from colleges, universities, and local communities that work to defy federal immigration laws as part of legislation closing out the fiscal year budget.
“Our public universities and community colleges receive hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayers every year — that’s the people’s money being given to higher education. In return for such a tremendous financial investment, you would think that — at a bare minimum — they should be expected to follow the law,” said Runestad, R-White Lake. “Any public university or community college indicating they won’t follow our immigration laws should not receive any taxpayer funds. If you won’t follow the law, you shouldn’t get public money.”
Runestad’s amendment to Senate Bill 56, the school aid budget supplemental, would have withheld funding from colleges and universities that fail to certify their cooperation with federal immigration laws and confirm they are not sanctuary campuses.
Bellino’s amendment to Senate Bill 55, the general fund budget supplemental, would have made a city, village, township or county ineligible to receive any additional state funds if it adopts or has adopted a resolution declaring itself a sanctuary community or directs its employees not to cooperate with federal immigration officials.
“There are communities in our state that have shown a willingness to break the law in order to take a political stance,” said Bellino, R-Monroe. “Public safety and the responsible use of taxpayer dollars are part of our duty as lawmakers. My amendment would have prevented taxpayer funds from going to any locality that willfully violates United States law by declaring themselves a sanctuary community.
“Let’s put politics aside and listen to the message that has been sent loud and clear: People want secure borders.”
Both amendments were defeated by the Senate’s Democrat majority in party-line votes.
“Democrats continue to double down on their willful opposition to federal immigration laws,” Runestad said. “This stubborn, woke political posturing endangers Michigan residents and local communities. Openly defying the law must have consequences.”