Pontiac ICE arrests: more than 400 since 2025

PONTIAC. Immigration agents have arrested more than 400 people in Pontiac since 2025, according to Community Aid For Empowerment, an advocacy group founded by 69-year-old resident Elida Reyes. The arrests cluster near grocery stores, churches and schools, concentrated on the city's north side in City Council District 3, a majority Latino area. Reyes calls June 21, 2026, Father's Day, the worst day of enforcement so far.

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution opposing certain ICE enforcement in February 2026, and Pontiac's City Council followed with a unanimous safe access resolution on March 3. On June 16, the city passed an emergency ordinance placing a one year moratorium on new detention facilities. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard's office, which has patrolled Pontiac since 2011, says it only intersects with immigration cases through the jail after state or local arrests, according to spokesperson Stephen Huber.

CAFE board member Alexis Huyck, 29, a preschool teacher, and City Council member Mikal Goodman have both raised concerns about the toll on the city's Latino community. Mayor Mike McGuinness took office in January 2026. Pontiac's population is 62,104; ICE made 3,298 arrests across Michigan in 2025.