Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Thursday the city has not experienced any mass deportation raids and is not changing its long-standing policy of cooperating with federal immigration officials over the detention of undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

Speaking to reporters after Thursday's 2025 Detroit Policy Conference, Duggan's comments came amid concerns about immigration crackdowns, including rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers visiting homes in southwest Detroit.

There is no evidence those raids have begun in Detroit, Duggan said.

But the mayor said he also wanted to clarify that Detroit is not a "sanctuary city," which generally refers to a municipality that limits its cooperation with federal immigration authorities when it comes to detainees. The Trump administration has warned it would legally punish sanctuary cities.

"Detroit is not a sanctuary city," Duggan said. "We are a welcoming city. A welcoming city means if you are in this country lawfully as an immigrant, we encourage you to come here. We support your success. If you are in this country illegally, we should not be shielding you from ICE and federal enforcement, and the city of Detroit does not do so," Duggan said.

Earlier this week, Detroit City Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero posted a video on Instagram that she has received a report about an ICE raid in southwest Detroit, home to a large Latino population. But she said she hadn't personally witnessed any raids herself. And there was no other confirmation of a raid.

ICE couldn't be reached for comment.

Duggan said every person who is arrested in Detroit is entered into a database with their name, fingerprints and country of birth.

"ICE has a list of who they're looking for who are illegal immigrants, who have committed crimes. And when one of the people we've arrested comes up," he said. "They will contact us, and if we have them in custody at the Detroit detention center, we will turn them over to ICE."

"That was true under Obama. That was true under Trump, that was true under Biden," Duggan said referring to the previous presidential administrations, both Democratic and Republican.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals, ending a decades-old policy, the Associated Press reported.

Duggan said Detroit police "have never arrested suspects at schools or churches."

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