Right now, across the country, communities are facing growing pressure from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to the American Immigration Council, six people died in ICE custody in January of this year alone, in Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and California, raising concerns and fears about what could happen next.

So how are people responding? How are communities making their voices heard? For some, the answer is public art.

Outdoor exhibitions have long had the power to democratize art. Displaying the works outdoors brings it out of galleries and into public spaces. It allows any and everyone to engage in shared cultural experiences and meaningful community connection.

A new installation called “ICEBREAKER”, created by multidisciplinary artist Rogerio Pinto, honors the lives lost to ICE and in detention centers.

He joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to talk more about the exhibition and the impact ICE has had on communities.

“ICEBREAKER” will remain on display at the corner of Harbrooke Avenue and Arbana Drive in Ann Arbor through April 19.

Names honored in the exhibit

Listed below are names featured in the exhibition.

Names of Lives Lost to DHS Enforcement

• Genry Ruiz Guillén
•  Serawit Gezahegn Dejene
•  Maksym Chernyak
• Juan Alexis Tineo-Martinez
• Brayan Garzón-Rayo
• Nhon Ngoc Nguyen
• Marie Ange Blaise
• Abelardo Avellaneda Delgado
• Jesus Molina-Veya
• Johnny Noviello
• Isidro Pérez
• Jaime Alanis
• Tien Xuan Phan
• Chaofeng Ge
• Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez
• Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas
• Oscar Rascon Duarte
• Silverio Villegas González
• Santos Banegas Reyes
• Ismael Ayala Uribe
• Norlan Guzman-Fuentes
• Miguel Ángel García Medina- (shot by a sniper)
• Huabing Xie
• Leo Cruz-Silva
• Hasan Ali Moh’D Saleh
• Josué Castro Rivera
• Gabriel Garcia Aviles
• Kai Yin Wong
• Francisco Gaspar-Andrés
• Pete Sumalo Montejo
• Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani
• Isaias Sanchez Barboza
• Jean Wilson Brutus
• Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir
• Delvin Francisco Rodriguez
• Nenko Stanev Gantchev
• Keith Porter
• Ray Ruben Martinez (not included on Fences)

2026

• Geraldo Lunas Campos
• Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres
• Luis Beltrán Yáñez-
• Renee Nicole Good
• Parady La
• Víctor Manuel Díaz-
• Heber Sánchez Domínguez-
• Alex Pretti
• Lorth Sim
• Nurul Amin Shah Alam
• Emmanuel Damas
• Alberto Gutierrez Reyes
• Daphy Michel 

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That creamy Reese’s peanut butter cup dissolving on your tongue. The next crunchy Dorito you’re reaching for before you’ve swallowed the last one. The first sip of an ice-cold Coke, with a mix of syrup and carbonation; it hits like relief.

Your brain’s reward center is supposed to keep you alive, but a major new study from the University of Michigan, Harvard, and Duke says the food industry learned how to use it against you — engineering products with the same science as cigarettes.

The playbook is this: optimize the craving, accelerate the reward, and make it nearly impossible to stop.

Ultraprocessed foods now make up roughly 60% of what Americans eat. San Francisco has sued 10 major food manufacturers over the harm.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said these foods are poisoning Americans, but he has stopped short of regulating them.

In Detroit, 69% of households face food insecurity and researchers describe the city as a food swamp, where drive-throughs, party stores and gas-station snack aisles vastly outnumber places to buy fresh produce.

Detroit’s numbers make the question sharper: What happens when engineered food is all that’s there?

Ashley Gearhardt, clinical psychologist, addiction scientist at the University of Michigan, creator of the Yale Food Addiction Scale and lead author of the study, joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss this and more.

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Part of the affordability crisis hitting American families is happening on our plates.

One local wholesale distributor says multiple factors are driving food costs up: President Trump’s tariffs, labor shortages and heightened immigration enforcement, and problems in the trucking industry. And all of that hits Detroit harder than most places. Many Detroit families struggle with food insecurity, and Congress just gutted the federal safety net that millions of families depend on.

Still, whether prices go up because of a tariff or a drought or a trucker shortage — if you don’t control any part of the system, you just absorb the hit. You are at the end of a chain somebody else built and no food pantry, no matter how well-run, changes that.

Natosha Tallman says the answer is not more charity — it’s infrastructure: commercial kitchens, cold storage, distribution, ownership. A system where Detroiters grow food, process it, sell it, and keep the money. 

Tallman and her team at the Northend Christian Community Development Corporation, which runs the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, are trying to build that infrastructure. She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what it takes to move from a system focused on food charity to one of food sovereignty.

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More stories from The Metro

The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the end of Temporary Protected Status for Yemen. The designation was first granted to Yemeni nationals in September 2015 due to war in the country. TPS designation was renewed several times between 2017 and 2024.

Noem says the conditions in the country have improved, no longer warranting TPS. She says the designation was meant to be temporary.   

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about 1,400 Yemeni nationals had TPS status as of last year.  

Secretary Noem says TPS beneficiaries who have exhausted their lawful basis for staying in the U.S. have 60 days to self-deport—that’s April 14. People are encouraged to use the U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP Home app to report their departure for self-deportation, which includes a complimentary plane ticket and a $2,600 dollar bonus, which Noem says leaves the possibility of legal opportunities for future immigration. Those who do not leave may be arrested and deported and cannot return to the U.S.  

TPS recipients can seek out legal residency through asylum or work visas. 

Additional headlines from Monday, Feb. 16, 2026

Detroit police officers suspended 

Two Detroit police officers have been suspended for coordinating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Detroit Free Press reports that led to two people being possibly deported.

Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison requested the officers’ pay be suspended. Previously, Bettison told Detroit City Council members the police department does not do immigration enforcement.

On Feb. 9, a Detroit sergeant called Border Patrol when an officer requested translation services for a non-English speaker during a traffic stop, prompting an investigation by CBP who then took the person into custody. Another incident occurred in December, when an officer called Border Patrol while investigating a felony warrant.

The Board of Police Commissioners will decide this week whether to suspend the officers’ pay. Bettinson says officers have been discouraged from working with Customs and Border unless a detainer is issued and signed by a judge.  

US Immigration Customs Enforcement purchases Romulus facility

A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told CBS News Detroit on Sunday the federal agency has purchased a facility in Romulus.  

The facility is expected to bring nearly 1,500 jobs to the area, just under $150 million in economic activity and more than $33 million in tax revenue. 

Last week, Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight said in a Facebook post that the Department of Homeland Security secured a building about 6 miles northwest of Detroit Metro Airport. 

McCraight said that the detention center would be opposed by the city at all levels and he is working with legal counsel to determine what authority the city has to stop it. 

-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley  

College Fair

The Williams Recreation Center is hosting a college fair next week. It will feature admissions and scholarship information, financial aid guidance and student and alumni engagement. Light refreshments will be provided, and it’s free and open to the public.

Call 313-628-2039 or email taylor.small@detroitmi.gov for more info. The college fair takes place on Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Detroiters who use I-94 to get to and from Metro Airport are about to experience some delays. The Michigan Department of Transportation is starting a three-year construction project this week.

Thirteen miles of the freeway from Dearborn to Romulus will undergo major renovations, including concrete work, bridge work, and the rebuilding of the Ecorse Road interchange. I-94 will be reduced to two lanes in each direction during construction. Officials say drivers will continue to have access to Metro Airport from I-94.

Airport security increased

The next time you go to Metro Airport, you might notice some differences. The Detroit Free Press reports the airport has installed 9,000-pound concrete barriers in front of the McNamara terminal entrance.

The change was prompted by an incident last month in which a man drove his car through the front door at the departure level of the McNamara terminal and into a ticket counter. No one was hurt. Officials say the crash was not an accident.

Additional headlines for February 4, 2026

Candidate forum on education

Several of Michigan’s candidates for governor will gather in Detroit on Friday to discuss education. The Michigan Education Association is hosting a forum on the subject, saying it gives state residents a chance to hear from candidates on the issue.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, former Attorney General Mike Cox, former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are scheduled to appear. The forum runs from 10:30 a.m. until noon on Friday at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

Ish celebration of life Sunday

The American Arab Chamber of Commerce will hold a tribute to Ismael Ahmed on Sunday. The community activist and civil rights leader died last weekend.

Ahmed had a major impact on metro Detroit, co-founding the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. He also played a crucial role in the creation of the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn.

The Celebration of Life in Honor of Ismael Ahmed takes place Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Ford Performing and Community Arts Center in Dearborn. The event is free and open to the public.

Pistons trade Ivey

The Detroit Pistons have traded guard Jaden Ivey in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ivey goes to Chicago. The Pistons receive Kevin Huerter, Dario Šarić, and a first-round pick swap with the Timberwolves. Minnesota receives luxury tax relief.

Gaming Control Board issues warning

The Michigan Gaming Control Board is warning gamblers to protect themselves in the days leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. The agency says residents should only place bets with state-authorized sportsbook operators and online platforms.

Officials warn that unlicensed gaming can lead to identity theft or the loss of wagering money. The Gaming Control Board is also urging Michiganders to bet responsibly.

The American Gaming Association estimates more than $1.7 billion will be wagered on the Super Bowl. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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