Gretchen Whitmer and Tom Homan have very different ideas about what immigration enforcement should look like in Michigan. This week, they said so, loudly.
Homan, the administration’s border chief, criticized Michigan leaders for what he called a lack of cooperation with ICE. Whitmer answered with some sharp words of her own, and the back-and-forth quickly became one of the week’s biggest political stories.
Homan has never been known for gentle language. Speaking to reporters, he said states that don’t help federal agents are making communities less safe, and he named Michigan as one of the places he’s frustrated with.
“We’re going to do the job either way,” he said. “It’d be a lot easier with some help.”
Whitmer didn’t wait long. At an event in Lansing, she said Michigan follows the law and will keep doing so, but that she won’t let federal officials push around Michigan families or local police.
“Nobody from Washington gets to come here and talk down to Michiganders,” she said. “Not on my watch.” The crowd loved it. Homan’s supporters didn’t.
This isn’t the first time a governor and a border official have clashed, and it won’t be the last. States and the federal government have argued about immigration enforcement for years, especially over things like detainer requests and local jail cooperation.
What makes this one stand out is the personalities. Whitmer is a two-term governor with national ambitions. Homan is one of the most recognizable faces of tough immigration policy. Both know how to get attention.
Reaction in the state was split. Some business owners and immigrant advocates said they appreciated Whitmer standing up for local communities. Others, especially in more conservative parts of the state, said she should work with ICE instead of fighting.
“I just want everybody to stop yelling and figure it out,” one Grand Rapids resident said. That may be the most popular opinion in the state.
For Whitmer, the fight is a chance to look tough on behalf of her state, which never hurts for someone who gets mentioned as a future presidential candidate. For Homan, it’s a chance to rally supporters who want stricter enforcement everywhere. Both of them probably see this as a win, which is part of why it might keep going.
Some of the people most affected by the fight are local sheriffs and police chiefs. They have to work with federal agencies and answer to state leaders and voters at the same time.
Several Michigan sheriffs said they simply want clear rules. A few said they already cooperate with ICE on certain cases and don’t see what the fuss is about. Others said they worry that mixing local policing with immigration enforcement makes it harder to solve crimes, because witnesses get nervous about talking to officers.
“We’re not looking to be in anybody’s press release,” one county official said. “We just want to do our jobs.”
It’s a reminder that behind the big speeches, there are real people trying to make the system work day to day. So far, it’s all words. No new policy has been announced, and no formal action has been taken by either side. But with immigration still at the top of the national agenda, Michigan could stay in the spotlight for a while.
If Homan and Whitmer end up in the same room, it’ll be worth watching. Bring popcorn.