Taylor's ICE agreement: the only one in Metro Detroit
TAYLOR. Taylor's police department signed a 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 28, 2025, the only such task force deal in Metro Detroit and one of 1,373 nationwide. Police Chief John Blair signed it. Over the past year, Taylor police have turned over four people to ICE, and ICE contacted the department no more than twice in 2025 and twice more by mid-May 2026.
Resident Melody Simmons was removed from a city council meeting on May 5, 2026, after objecting to the agreement, then arrested and charged with disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor. Her bond was set at $100; her attorney, Ren Nushaj, said she had "massive bruises." A protest followed at Taylor City Hall on May 19, and Simmons pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on June 23.
Blair calls the agreement routine. "It's nothing at all," he said. "Not one thing has changed within our police department." State Rep. James DeSana has sponsored a resolution urging other Michigan departments to sign similar agreements. Taylor's population is 61,544; ICE made 3,298 arrests statewide in 2025.
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