Michigan’s secretary of state oversees license renewals, car registrations and elections — the voter rolls, the rules clerks follow, and the certification of results. Jocelyn Benson is term-limited. Two candidates are running to replace her.

Anthony Forlini is the Republican. He’s the Macomb County clerk and register of deeds, and he spent six years in the state House and six as Harrison Township supervisor.

This year Forlini has been looking for noncitizens on Michigan’s voter rolls. In January he said he found 15 in Macomb County. In May he said he found seven more. The state reviewed all 15 names and found at least three of those people are citizens.

A separate state review of the 2024 election found noncitizen voting is extremely rare — 16 ballots out of roughly 5.7 million. Nessel charged five people in August.

The Metro’s Robyn Vincent spoke with Forlini about how rare noncitizen voting is and what he’d do as secretary of state.

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, the Democrat in the race, joins The Metro next week.

Editor’s note: Forlini said noncitizens are turning up for jury duty in Macomb County. People there have claimed not to be citizens to get excused — but whether they are in fact noncitizens is not established.

The jury pool comes from driver’s license records, and Michigan doesn’t require citizenship for a license. Election administrators note that people sometimes claim noncitizenship to avoid jury duty.

He also said 96% of Republicans and Democrats voted for his bills in the Legislature. The Metro has not verified that.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts

More stories from The Metro

For more than a decade, a group of Detroiters worked toward something the city was lacking: there were almost no Black-owned grocery stores. So they set out to build one — owned by the people it serves.

In 2024, the Detroit People’s Food Co-op opened on Woodward in the North End.

Two years later, it is asking for help. The co-op says it is bringing in close to $3 million a year. Before it opened, it projected about $80,000 a week — more than $4 million. 

This month it launched a campaign to recruit 500 new owners and asked shoppers to spend $10 more every time they come in. They named it Mframadan, a symbol from Ghana for a house built to withstand treacherous conditions.

Those conditions are real — food prices keep climbing and many of the people this store was built for are the ones with the least to spare. U.S. Census Bureau data shows 34% of Detroiters live in poverty.

The co-op’s thought was that Detroiters should own their food system, not just shop within it. Two years in, the question is whether that’s something people can afford to own.

Lanay Gilbert-Williams, president of the Detroit People’s Food Co-op and executive director of the Detroit Food Policy Council, joined Robyn Vincent to discuss what supporting a co-op means for a community, some of the store’s higher prices in comparison to chain grocers, and who is actually shopping there.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

More stories from The Metro

Far-right influencer and anti-Islam activist Jake Lang appeared before Dearborn City Council Tuesday. As WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley reports, supporters and opponents gathered around Lang as he arrived. 

The city council meeting was moved to the Henry Ford Centennial Library in anticipation of large crowds for Jake Lang’s appearance in Dearborn Tuesday night. City officials encouraged residents not to engage with Lang supporters the day before. Several commentors praised Lang’s rhetoric during public comment. 

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud also condemned that message. “Ultimately, they’re attacking something much larger than any one faith or community, they are attacking the idea that all of us can belong to America at the same time.” 

Lang was escorted out of the city council meeting after failing to yield when his allotted time for public comment was over. 

Dearborn Police made 22 arrests.

Additional headlines for Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026

Benson meets with Black Detroiters

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson met with Black Detroiters as a part of her Democratic campaign for governor. Benson -who’s white —is running against Republican Congressman John James – who is Black. 

At the Benson event, Detroit Federation of Teachers president LaKia Wilson-Lumpkins told the crowd that shouldn’t matter. “All skinfolks are not kinfolks. Staying at home in November is not an option. Brothers and sisters in this room, voting for John James is a vote against our own interests.”

Republicans have criticized Benson for racial discrimination lawsuits her department faced while she was in charge. Benson has denied any allegations of racism and has often brought up her time fighting racial extremism with the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Justice Department has accused the SPLC of targeting conservatives. 

Americans for Citizen Voting campaign hits a roadblock

Voters might not get to decide on a proposed constitutional amendment to tighten Michigan’s voter I-D and registration policies this November. 

The “Americans for Citizen Voting” campaign may not have turned in enough valid signatures to qualify — based on a sample of a thousand signatures the state Bureau of Elections reviewed. The panel says a large chunk of those signatures are invalid. The Board of State Canvassers will decide next week whether the measure belongs on the ballot.

– Reporting by Colin Jackson, MPRN

Small Business Social Hour

The Tejara Innovation Hub is hosting the City Institute and New Economy Initiative for a social and networking event in Dearborn tomorrow. The Small Business Social Hour Summer series ends with its Dearborn event after two Detroit events in June and July.

Thursday’s event is free but registration is encouraged. It starts with networking from 4-7 p.m. with a program from 5-6 p.m.. It’s at the Tejara Innovation Hub 4921 Schaefer Road.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, or ACCESS, is hosting its 11th annual Back to School Health Fair from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Community Health and Research Center in Dearborn.

Mona Makki, director of the ACCESS Community Health and Research Center, says the organization has hosted the event for the past decade. This year, organizers are putting an increased focus on providing essential hygiene products after hearing from families, community members and school administrators about the need.

Makki says about 2,000 people are expected to attend.

The fair will also include vision and health screenings, free haircuts for hundreds of children and other community resources.

People can RSVP by calling 313-216-2200.

Michigan Immigrant Rights Center loses federal contract for legal services

The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center says its federal contract to provide legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children has ended, leaving hundreds of children without legal representation.

Last year, MIRC represented about 1,100 children. This year, the organization says it can take on only 420 cases. MIRC also expects to lose about 70 staff members in October because of the funding loss.

The organization says it will maintain offices in Detroit, Ypsilanti, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Lansing, and its other programs will continue.

Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act in 2008, establishing protections for unaccompanied children, including access to legal services. MIRC says the Trump administration sought to end federal funding that provided legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant children. Its contract with the federal government ended Aug. 1.

People can learn more about MIRC and ways to donate or volunteer.

Detroit to honor Imam Abdullah El-Amin with street designation

The city of Detroit will unveil a new street sign honoring the late Imam Abdullah El-Amin, co-founder of the Muslim Center.

Abdullah El-Amin Way will be designated at Woodrow Wilson and Davison streets near the Muslim Center. Dream of Detroit, Carey Strategy Group and Legacy Story Keepers are among the organizations hosting the street-naming ceremony.

El-Amin was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and moved to Detroit when he was 7. He spent decades serving the community through interfaith efforts and other civic work.

El-Amin co-founded the Muslim Center with his wife, Dr. Cheryl El-Amin, in 1983. He served as the first executive director of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan and as a Neighborhood City Hall manager under Mayor Dennis Archer from 1994 to 2001. He was also a columnist for the Muslim Observer, an author and a provider of funeral services for Muslim families.

The unveiling will take place from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at 13148 Woodrow Wilson St.

Register for the Abdullah El-Amin Way unveiling through Dream of Detroit.

Taste of Hamtramck fundraiser supports local food pantry

Detroit Friendship House is hosting a curated walking food festival featuring several Hamtramck restaurants, including New Palace Bakery, Polish Village Cafe, Srodek’s and Amicci’s Pizza.

Taste of Hamtramck: Take a Bite Out of Hunger will showcase the city’s culinary heritage while raising money for Detroit Friendship House programs that provide nutritious food and other resources to local families.

Tickets are $85, with proceeds benefiting Detroit Friendship House.

Taste of Hamtramck takes place from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30.

Reserve a spot for Taste of Hamtramck through Detroit Friendship House.

Happy retirement, Jerome Vaughn

And finally, WDET wishes a happy retirement to News Director Jerome Vaughn, creator of the Detroit Evening Report podcast.

You will be missed, Jerome, but certainly not forgotten.

Michigan is reporting the first two fatalities among people suffering from the disease cyclosporiasis. Officials say medical records indicate the people had significant underlying health conditions. Officials add the disease, which can cause cramps and explosive diarrhea, is generally non-life-threatening. Deaths from it are uncommon in the U.S.

The state reports more than 11,000 cases since June, although it’s not clear how many of those people may have already recovered from the disease.  

-Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter

Additional headlines for Monday, Aug. 3, 2026

American Muslim Experience

Documentary photographer and visual storyteller Syed Yaqeen is visiting Michigan this week as part of the American Muslim Experience— a documentary project to preserve the stories of American Muslims through visual storytelling and conversations. 

He says he began the project to document stories of everyday Muslims to counter negative stereotypes and showcase what it means to be Muslim in America.  

“Like the complicated lives of everyday people who again happen to be Muslim. So for them to be able to see themselves as young kids, students going to school, getting jobs, first job, learning how to drive-you know-all these little simple things that people tend not to think of when they are, I guess, put in a specific group.”  

Yaqeen says his focus is on documenting the present-day lives of American Muslims to preserve that for the future.  

He is taking pictures in Hamtramck, Detroit and Dearborn.  

People can contact him on Instagram at americanmuslimexperience to schedule a session. 

Language access failure

The city of Detroit has failed to translate information in emergencies as required through an ordinance created last year to translate public service announcements, says the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. 

Bridge Detroit reports that includes hazardous smoke and extreme heat warnings. City officials say they will make improvements to provide Detroiters whose first language is not English access to resources or information.  

Meanwhile Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has tasked the Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity (CRIO), Office of Immigrant Affairs, and Media Services departments to improve language access in the city. 

BridgeDetroit found much emergency-based information was only posted in English on the city’s website or Facebook. 

The city hopes to provide translated information in Spanish, Bengali, Arabic, and French. Meanwhile, residents can use Detroit’s alert system and choose a language of their choice to access the city’s website. 

Detroit has spent more than $362,000 on language access services in the past year.  

Blood donations at extreme low

The American Red Cross has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations.

Sydney Henry is with the Michigan region of the American Red Cross. She says blood donations typically drop in the summer, but this summer is worse than usual.  

That’s likely because of the extreme heat events and wildfire smoke that choked some states, especially Michigan. 

Henry says the Red Cross has less than a day’s supply of type O positive blood. That blood can be given to most people in an emergency. 

-Reporting by Tracy Samilton