STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — A routine traffic stop in Sterling Heights has ignited a sharp rebuke from city leadership and reopened a growing national debate over local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
At a Jan. 20 City Council meeting, Michael C. Taylor, mayor of Sterling Heights, delivered an emotional condemnation of how three vehicle passengers were handled after a Jan. 9 traffic stop that resulted in the arrest of a driver on a federal felony warrant.
While Taylor acknowledged the stop itself was lawful, he said what followed crossed a line.
Passengers detained despite no criminal suspicion
According to the mayor, the three passengers were not suspected of any crime but were nonetheless asked to provide identification. Taylor said they were not legally required to do so, yet police described the practice as “proactive policing” meant to help officers identify potential criminals.
Taylor rejected that explanation outright.
“You can catch the bad guys by tricking people into thinking they have to give you their ID,” he said, adding that the practice relies on citizens not knowing their rights.
After identifying themselves, the passengers were held at the scene until U.S. Border Patrol arrived. They were then processed, placed into a van, and taken away.
“Our police officer held them there. Border Patrol came. They were processed. They were put into a van. They were detained. They were driven away,” Taylor told council members.
“Deliberately putting people in harm’s way”
The mayor said the incident forced him to reconsider Sterling Heights’ relationship with federal immigration agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security.
“When our police department hands people over to Border Patrol or ICE or Homeland Security, we are deliberately putting them in harm’s way,” Taylor said.
He accused federal immigration authorities of operating in ways that violate constitutional protections and instill fear in communities, arguing that Sterling Heights should not be aligned with agencies that, in his view, act in opposition to the city’s values.
“I don’t want to be in partnership with federal policing agencies who have been militarized to terrorize peaceful communities throughout this country,” he said.
Questioning all federal law-enforcement partnerships
Taylor went further, calling for an end to federal task-force partnerships that place Sterling Heights officers with agencies such as the FBI and the DEA. Even if such a move meant losing federal forfeiture funding, he said, the city’s priority should be keeping officers focused on local needs.
“I want those officers back in Sterling Heights working here,” he said.
A deeply emotional conclusion
The mayor closed his remarks with a blunt and deeply personal assessment of the moment.
“I’ve never been less proud of this country. I’ve never been less proud to be an American,” Taylor said. “I think that this country is an absolute disgrace. An absolute disgrace. And I’m sick of it.”
City officials have since begun reviewing police policies related to traffic stops, identification requests, and cooperation with federal agencies. Taylor acknowledged that additional changes may be needed to ensure residents feel safe interacting with local law enforcement — regardless of immigration status.
For Sterling Heights, the controversy has become more than a single traffic stop. It has sparked a broader reckoning over constitutional rights, policing practices, and whether local governments should draw firmer boundaries between community policing and federal immigration enforcement.
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