State Representative Mai Xiong wants answers about why ICE detained Hmong refugees in Detroit.

She says the people detained are not undocumented immigrants — they are refugees who entered the U.S. legally. The incident has sparked fear and confusion in Southeast Michigan’s Hmong community, prompting calls for accountability.

This issue hits home for Xiong, Michigan’s first Hmong American legislator and a former refugee herself. She represents Warren in Michigan’s 13th House District.

She joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to explain what she knows and the lingering questions that remain.

The Metro contacted Detroit’s ICE field office and the Detroit Police Department for details. Detroit Police said they did not know about the detentions. ICE has not responded.

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Michigan’s skies are blanketed in haze, clouding the outlook for metro Detroiters.

It’s not fog. Wildfires burning hundreds of miles away in Canada are sending plumes of smoke all over the American Midwest, and that smoke makes breathing hard and sometimes affects our health in untold ways. 

Breathing wildfire smoke near the source is harmful, but there is still uncertainty about what happens as the smoke travels. 

Some emerging research suggests wildfire smoke traveling long distances chemically changes and could become even more harmful. 

Pulmonary specialist Dr. Erika Moseson has been closely following the issue of wildfire smoke and lung health. She hosts the podcast “Air Health, Our Health,” where she breaks down how things like wildfire smoke  — and how climate change, which is intensifying those fires — affect our health.

Moseson joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss air quality, lung health and more. Use the media player above to listen.

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Voters in Detroit face a defining choice in the August 5 primary election. But right now, fewer than 10% of registered voters have participated. Most of those ballots have been mailed in. In‑person early voting, which ended August 4, was minimal.

That is a little surprising this year, given Michigan’s no‑excuse absentee law, which voters approved in 2018. It lets anyone request a mail-in ballot without needing a reason.

This is also the city’s first competitive mayoral race in over a decade, with three-term Mayor Mike Duggan running for governor of Michigan. In other words, it’s a pivotal chance for leadership change. But turnout, so far, doesn’t yet reflect this moment.

Meanwhile, voter accessibility has been a question. During the 2021 election, disability advocates filed an ADA complaint saying key voting information, like where and how to vote, was inaccessible online for users of screen readers, affecting thousands of Detroiters. And, some polling locations across metro Detroit remain inaccessible to voters with disabilities.

To discuss this, Detroit’s top election official, City Clerk Janice Winfrey, joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro.

The Metro has spoken with all of the candidates running for mayor. You can find those conversations at WDET.org/voterguide2025.

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Mental health crises too often land people in jail instead of hospitals.

That’s what happened in Traverse City, where this weekend, a man attacked 11 random Walmart shoppers. According to his family, he had suffered for decades from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and he “fell through the cracks” of the system again.

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, four people died after a shooter opened fire in an office building housing NFL offices. The gunman pleaded grievances in a note tied to suspected brain injuries and noted a mental health history.

These incidents remind us why reforming the system—and the people who interact with it—matters.

In Wayne County, nearly half of the people in jail are medicated for severe mental illness. And 911 received over 15,000 mental health calls last year alone.

Over the past decade, a coalition of groups has been working to change how we respond to things like mental health crises in Wayne County. It’s having an impact.

Since 2016, jail bookings in Wayne County dropped more than 50%.

Police now receive specialized training, social workers ride alongside officers, and mobile crisis teams sometimes respond without law enforcement.

At the center of this transformation is Dr. Sheryl Kubiak. She’s the founding director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at Wayne State University and dean of Wayne State’s School of Social Work. Her team has led pilot programs, built shared data systems, and worked to break down silos.

She joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to share what’s working, what still needs to change, and how communities can respond before crisis turns to catastrophe.

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The criminal charges were dropped, but the punishments keep coming.

In May 2024, students at the University of Michigan protested outside the campus art museum. They chanted, linked arms, and called on the university to divest from Israel. Some video clips reviewed by The Metro show campus police escalating the situation, pushing their bikes and barricades into protesters. In another clip, an officer pepper-sprays students as they chant and raise their fists. That same month, police violently raided and broke up an encampment at the university, spraying protesters with what students say was a mix of pepper gas and tear gas.

Nearly one year later, the university began disciplining those involved. Some students were fired from campus jobs. Others were permanently banned from future university employment. One recent graduate was let go from a research position for a protest she attended as a student.

Meanwhile, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel dropped all criminal charges she had been pursuing against students amid mounting political pressure and the ongoing devastation in Gaza.

But the University of Michigan continued its internal punishments, labeling peaceful protests as “violence.”

The university also hired outside consultants and private security to surveil student activists, following them on and off campus.

After that revelation came to light, thanks to reporting by Tom Perkins in The Guardian, the university announced it was ending its undercover surveillance program.

Now, several lawsuits say the university retaliated against students not for breaking rules, but for what they believe.

Liz Jacob, staff attorney at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, represents the students and alumni suing the University of Michigan. She joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss the lawsuits and the broader implications for free speech on campuses everywhere.

The University of Michigan has yet to respond to The Metro’s request for comment.

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Registered voters not casting a vote is a problem in the city, one that seems to be bigger here than in other Midwest cities. 

In Central Ohio’s Franklin County, the 2024 presidential election turnout was 66%. In Milwaukee, it was 85%. In Chicago, it was about 68% — and that’s the lowest it’s been in 80 years. But in Detroit, during the same election year, it was just 47%. 

Mara Ostfeld is the research director at the Center for Racial Justice and a professor at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She joined The Metro on Wednesday to share insights into why some Detroit residents don’t vote, and how to increase voter turnout. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Health care in Michigan is about to get more expensive.

According to a recent report from the health policy research group KFF, insurers offering plans through the Affordable Care Act will increase premiums by 15% next year, with some even proposing 20% hikes. Medicaid is set for $1.2 trillion in national cuts, including work mandates and higher fees.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel also announced last week that she joined a multi-state coalition lawsuit challenging a Trump administration rule that would “create significant barriers to obtaining health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act.”

So, what does all this mean for you and your family’s health care costs?

Thomas Buchmueller, a health economist at the University of Michigan, joined The Metro on Tuesday to break down what’s changing, who will feel it first, and what Michigan can do to soften the blow.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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It’s no secret Detroit is at a turning point. Mayor Mike Duggan is on his way out. And soon, a new group of city leaders will enter the fray.

But will these leaders and their appointees truly represent the needs of everyday Detroiters?

That’s exactly what the Detroit City Appointments Project is working on. It’s trying to recruit and vet residents who want to serve under Detroit’s next mayor.

The project, led by longtime organizer Maurice Weeks, is focused on finding qualified people. It’s also about finding leaders committed to fairness, equity and accountability to Detroit’s neighborhoods.

Weeks joined The Metro on Monday to talk about the project, what’s at stake for Detroiters, and how roles in local government can be transformational for the city.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Here on The Metro, we’ve been talking to Detroit’s mayoral candidates about how they would lead if elected, and what they would prioritize as the city’s next mayor.

Outlier Media Civic Life Reporter Briana Rice has also been covering the Detroit mayoral race. She recently customized a fun tool for Outlier called the Meet Your Mayor Quiz to help Detroit voters compare candidates and discover which individuals align best with their priorities. 

The 21-question quiz matches voters with candidates based on their views about housing, safety and other key issues. Outlier was able to create and localize the quiz thanks to the nonprofit newsroom THE CITY in New York City, which made the code open source for all to use.

Rice joined The Metro to share more about the quiz and how voters are utilizing it.

Take the quiz here.

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In Detroit, the fallout from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s doubling down on aggressive tactics has shaken local communities.

Just last month, a Detroit teen less than four credits from graduation was deported after getting stopped by ICE for a traffic violation.

These are some of the tactics that led over 300 faith leaders and community members to march this week from Corktown to Detroit’s ICE field office. The goal of the demonstration — organized by the advocacy group Strangers No Longer — was to deliver a pastoral letter demanding humane enforcement.

Immigrant rights and environmental justice advocate Odalis Perales is working with Strangers No Longer to break down barriers between faith communities, in schools, and among police about the challenges and tension of this moment.

She joined The Metro on Thursday to talk about her progress and respond to ICE’s refusal to engage with the group’s pastoral letter and demands. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Affordable housing has been a major issue for many voters in Detroit.

In fact, according to recent University of Michigan surveys, housing affordability is a top priority for residents. In the majority renter city that is Detroit, 60% of those renters are cost-burdened — meaning they spend over 30% of their income on housing costs.

A lack of affordable housing is considered one of the root causes of homelessness. In 2024, a one-night count conducted by the city of Detroit and two local nonprofits showed a 16% increase in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park’s homeless population compared to the year before.

Ted Phillips, executive director for the United Community Housing Coalition, and Nushrat Rahman, economic mobility reporter for the Detroit Free Press and BridgeDetroit, joined the show to discuss the drivers of and possible solutions to this growing problem.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Since entering the Detroit mayoral race in December, City Council President Mary Sheffield has become a frontrunner in the race.

According to recent polling, she’s leading the charge in front of Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. and former Detroit Police Chief James Craig.

As the daughter of Rev. Horace Sheffield III — the leader of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations — and the granddaughter of Detroit labor leader Horace Sheffield Jr., Sheffield has been steeped in politics and the Black church for her entire life. She was also the youngest person elected to Detroit City Council when she was just 26 years old. 

Today, the millennial candidate is very social media savvy, often using TikTok and Instagram to connect with city residents. She’s also gained favor from many young people, including big-name Detroit rappers like Sada Baby and Skilla Baby — who both appeared at her annual “Occupy the Corner” events.

But behind Sheffield’s popularity, what does she stand for? She joined The Metro on Wednesday to talk more about the priorities of her campaign and what she’d bring to the table as Detroit’s next mayor.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Public media began as classroom radio in the 1920s. It was dry, instructional, and pretty boring. Most only thought of news as newspapers or the anchors you see on your parents’ favorite channel every morning.

But it evolved to combine entertainment, education, and lessons in democracy. That evolution helped shape National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service into platforms that elevate untold community stories and give us and our kids the tools to live better lives. NPR and PBS not only tells us the news happening locally and nationally, they give children a safe avenue for early learning.

Josh Shepperd is a historian and author specializing in public media at the University of Colorado Boulder.

He joined The Metro to talk about the history of public media in the United States, and the Trump administration’s current attacks on public broadcasting.

President Donald Trump has asked Congress to pass a rescission package that would claw back funding for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The package has already passed the House and now the Senate has until July 18 to approve it.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Detroit City Council recently approved changes to city ordinances to make the licensing process easier and less cumbersome for small businesses.

The changes, which were unanimously approved by the council, will reduce administrative burdens by cutting redundant licensing requirements that “do not protect health and safety”; allow businesses to renew their business licenses every two years instead of annually; improve the city’s permitting and licensing processes and more.

Hassan Beydoun, group executive of Economic Development for the city of Detroit, joined The Metro on Tuesday to elaborate on what these new resolutions mean for small businesses in Detroit.

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Last week, Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison joined Mayor Mike Duggan and other officials in announcing the launch of a new teen violence prevention plan.

Under the new plan, minors age 15 and under must be with a parent after 10 p.m. The curfew for children ages 16 and 17 is 11 p.m. The plan also calls for increased curfew enforcement, illegal block party enforcement, and higher fines for breaking curfews.

The “crackdown” on curfew violations is in response to recent shooting incidents involving children in the city. But how effective can that be in stopping violent crime, and what else is the city doing to stop violence at the root?

Bettison joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss the city’s new violence prevention plan and talk about why violence tends to spike during the summer months.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Today on The Metro, we continue our coverage on the fight over public media funding and what’s at stake for local news and music stations across the country.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) due to alleged bias. Now, in the House Rescissions Act of 2025 — which narrowly passed the House last month — he’s asking Congress to claw back CPB funding that has already been approved.

The Senate Appropriations committee held a hearing on the bill last month, and the Senate will need to vote on the package by July 18.

If passed, local stations — including WDET and the programs you love — would face profound impacts. At WDET, about 6% of our annual budget comes from CPB.

Kelly McBride, senior vice president at the Poynter Institute, serves as NPR’s public editor. She says in her role with NPR, she serves as an independent critic of NPR reporting, engaging with listeners and critiquing public media stations when appropriate.

McBride spoke with Metro co-host Robyn Vincent about how public editors at major media outlets help hold journalists accountable, and how NPR could improve its coverage of federal funding cuts to public media and allegations of bias.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Each year the Concert of Colors transforms Detroit with sounds from across the globe.

This year the rhythm is beating strongly in Mexicantown, where the festival kicks off on Saturday with a special showcase of Tejano and Latin music. Tejano, or Tex-Mex music, is a soulful blend of borderland storytelling and rhythms rooted in Mexico, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Ray Lozano, executive director of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, joined The Metro to talk more about Concert of Colors, Tejano music and the importance of amplifying immigrant voices.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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After decades of steady decline, Detroit’s population is finally growing. Latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Detroit increased its population by 6,800 residents from 2023 to 2024.

And even more people seem to be moving to Detroit’s neighboring suburbs, with many housing investments being made in recent years in the city’s outer suburban ring and nearby “exurbs” like Lyon, Milford and Commerce townships.

Ro Harvard, a realtor with Island Realty — an affiliate of Keller Williams Realty — joined on The Metro on Thursday to shine some light on the inner workings of Detroit’s housing scene, and what types of amenities and priorities draw buyers to certain communities — from school districts and walkability to affordability and property values.

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The United Auto Workers union announced last month it would be endorsing Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. in the Detroit mayoral race, calling him “a longtime advocate for working-class people.”

Kinloch, a senior pastor at Detroit’s Triumph Church, is the only candidate in the mayoral race who has not held an elected position. He is currently battling for second place in the race behind frontrunner Mary Sheffield — who continues to maintain a sizable lead. The top two vote getters in the Aug. 5 primary will face off in the November general election.

In Detroit, a political endorsement from the UAW has always carried considerable weight, but membership is down in recent decades, and there are shifting political views within.

Today on The Metro, UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson joined the show to discuss the endorsement and why it matters.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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