Federal Government Files Lawsuit Against Washtenaw County Officials
In a significant legal move, the federal government has filed a lawsuit against Washtenaw County and several local officials, alleging they obstructed federal immigration enforcement operations. The 53-page complaint claims that county actions undermined both federal immigration law and law enforcement efforts.
This lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, specifically names Washtenaw County Sheriff Alicia M. Dyer and Prosecuting Attorney Eli Slavitt. The legal action highlights concerns about local policies that the federal government argues shield illegal immigrants from law enforcement actions.
The complaint details several local measures allegedly designed to protect undocumented immigrants from federal intervention. Among these measures are prohibitions on county employees saluting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees and sharing immigration-related information with federal authorities. Additionally, it asserts that federal immigration enforcement officers are barred from entering county premises unless they possess a judicial warrant approved by a court.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office issued a general order on January 30, 2025, outlining its policy regarding immigration enforcement. This order explicitly states that enforcing federal immigration law falls outside the scope of the sheriff’s office’s investigative and law enforcement responsibilities.
According to this order, the sheriff’s office will not detain individuals based solely on immigration detainer requests or deportation warrants issued by ICE in the absence of a valid judicial warrant. Furthermore, law enforcement officers within the county will not assist ICE agents during immigration-related operations.
The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office also issued a policy directive on February 24, 2021, which aims to minimize the impact of legal processes on immigrants. Additionally, a resolution passed by the Washtenaw County Commission on January 21, 2026, explicitly prohibits ICE agents from entering any county-owned or operated facilities without a valid judicial warrant.
In remarks concerning the lawsuit, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the dangers of the county’s sanctuary policies, arguing that they compromise the safety of Michiganders and obstruct federal law enforcement efforts. He referred to these policies as an intentional saboteur to federal efforts aimed at apprehending criminals and removing illegal immigrants.
The lawsuit further alleges that these local policies violate the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, which asserts that federal law takes precedence over conflicting state or local laws. This case is part of a series of similar lawsuits filed by the Justice Department targeting sanctuary policies across the nation, with other cases reported in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Boston.
Requests for comments from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the commission have not yet received a response. The outcome of this legal challenge could set significant precedents regarding local responses to federal immigration policies.
