(WXYZ) — Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib stood alongside other officials on Wednesday morning to speak on immigrant rights, after thousands of immigrants were arrested nationwide over the last few days.
WATCH THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER BELOW
"We're here to say 'not on our watch'. We're going to protect our neighbors," Tlaib said. "So not on our watch will you come and use racist policies (and) use stereotypes to try to depict our neighbors as criminals, as violent people. They are not. They are some of the hardest-working, most loving community members that you will ever find."
This comes after reports of increased presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Michigan cities such as Ann Arbor and Detroit have been confirmed by officials as President Donald Trump continues his nationwide immigration crackdown.
WATCH OUR PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ICE Activity spotted from Ann Arbor to Detroit
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Tlaib was joined at the press conference by:
- Detroit City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero
- Ruby Robinson, Managing Attorney, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
- Adonis Flores, Training Director, Michigan United Action
- Seydi Sarr, African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs (ABISA)
- Ramis Wadood, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Michigan
"This country is a nation of immigrants," Santiago-Romero said. "And unfortunately immigrants right now, particularly immigrants of color, are being villainized. I'm here to remind folks that undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes. We are an important piece ... of the fabric of this country."
More info on knowing your rights is on this website, written in both English and Spanish.
