Baldwin, a small town in Lake County, is about to get one of the largest immigration detention centers in the country. 

GEO Group has owned a private prison there for decades, called North Lake Correctional Facility. It’s been closed since 2022. 

A new contract from Immigration and Customs Enforcement has the company promising to bring hundreds of jobs to the poorest county in Michigan. 

But for local residents, that promise is tempered by what has long been an on-again, off-again relationship.

IPR’s Claire Keenan-Kurgan reports. 

Maxwell Howard contributed reporting to this story.  

This work is part of the Northern Michigan Journalism Project, led by Bridge Michigan and Interlochen Public Radio, and funded by Press Forward Northern Michigan.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

New travel ban takes effect

President Trump’s latest travel ban targeting 12 countries—many of them Muslim-majority or located in South America and Africa—went into effect today. The proclamation blocks travel to the U.S. for individuals without a valid visa from: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Seven additional countries also face restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Last week, the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR Michigan) issued a community alert urging individuals from the affected countries to return to the U.S. by today if possible.

CAIR Michigan staff attorney Amy Doukoure says the new restrictions could have immediate consequences.

“We might also see people who have a valid visa who don’t quite make it into the United States by June 9, unable to actually enter on the visa that they’re issued. And we will definitely see people who are here on a current valid visa, being unable to travel outside of the United States and then reenter once the travel ban takes effect.” 

Doukoure says the policy mirrors previous bans issued during Trump’s first term. She warns it will likely separate families and increase anxiety among communities from the affected countries.

Local ICE protests

About 50 protesters gathered near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Detroit on Sunday, voicing opposition to the Trump administration’s mass deportation raids.

Russ McNamara reports from the protest.

Leah Checchini of Hazel Park attended the rally. She says her father immigrated from Argentina and believes everyone deserves the same opportunity.

“Just seeing everything that’s going on around me—I have a lot of friends who are in the process of getting their papers taken care of—so watching what’s happening to people like them is enraging, to say the least.”

More protests are planned in cities across the country.

Free clinic offers help with license restoration

The Michigan Department of State is hosting a free clinic to help residents restore their driver’s licenses. The Road to Restoration clinic will take place Tuesday, June 24 at the La SED Senior and Youth Center, located at 7150 Vernor Highway in Detroit. Department staff and pro bono attorneys will be on-site to assist with the process. The clinic runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with walk-ins welcome between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Register at michigan.gov/r2r.

New guidelines added to Michigan’s Eat Safe Fish Guide

About 300 new recommendations have been added to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Eat Safe Fish Guide, with a renewed focus on reducing exposure to PFAS—commonly known as “forever chemicals.”

Officials say the chemicals are more harmful than previously thought. The updated guidelines outline which waterways are safe for fishing and how much of each species is safe to consume. For example, it’s considered safe to eat up to four servings of Bluegill per month from the Detroit River, but Bluegill from Belleville Lake should be completely avoided due to elevated PFAS levels.

Because PFAS are found in the fish fillet, simply trimming fat won’t reduce exposure. However, poking holes in the skin and grilling or broiling the fish can help lower the risk.

You can find the full Eat Safe Fish Guide at michigan.gov.

Reporting by Emma George-Griffin

Fall prevention resources available for Michigan seniors

Several groups are coming together to offer fall prevention resources for seniors. Each year, about 30 percent of Michiganders 65 and older report falling in their homes.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Aging, Community Living and Supports Health Services, the Michigan Falls Prevention Coalition, and Oakland University have partnered to connect people with health care providers, community organizations, and fall prevention resources.

People can explore safety planning tools, physical wellness services, and daily life support online at mi211.org. You can also call 211 for help finding resources.

The website was made possible by a $408,000 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund Healthy Aging initiative.

Learn more at mifallsprevention.org.

Unhappy with the Trump Administration’s arrests of undocumented immigrants, about 50 protesters demonstrated near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Detroit on Sunday.

Mass arrests and deportations, including some that continue to violate court orders, have sent many to the streets in protest.

Over the weekend, law enforcement in Los Angeles, CA attacked protesters and journalists with tear gas and projectiles injuring dozens.

The crowd was small but vocal, chanting “Summer’s here, melt the ICE, immigrants deserve their rights,” along with chants in Spanish that included expletives aimed at ICE.

Mike Barber, a special education teacher from White Lake, was among them. He says he’s troubled by the administration’s actions.

“This is against what America stands for,” Barber says. “America is a nation of immigrants and now they want to kick them out without even looking at their papers.”

“It could be us next if we’re disliked.”

“I mean, here at Wayne State, we had people that got their F1 visas canceled,” Pico says. “These aren’t criminals, and the fact that Trump wants to portray them like that, I mean, he’s just racist.”

Jo Pico was drawn to protest after seeing the police-initiated violence in LA.

Leah Checchini of Hazel Park says her father immigrated from Argentina and that she believes everyone should have the same opportunity that he did.

“I have a lot of friends that are in the process of getting their papers taken care of and everything,” Checchini says. “So just seeing what’s happening to people is enraging, to say the least.”

Nationwide protests are planned for Saturday. It coincides with a planned show of military might by President Trump.

The President is celebrating his birthday with a military parade in Washington D.C.

The Coalition for Property Tax Justice held a press conference last week to encourage Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree to place a moratorium on tax foreclosures for home valued at $50,000 or lower.

The Coalition is refuting the city of Detroit’s interpretation of a study conducted by the International Association of Assessing Officers, which concluded that the city is following Michigan law, and on average they are assessing properties correctly.

Coalition Leader Bernadette Atuahene says while the results are correct, averages can still hide the real issue.

“For instance, 10+60+80 divided by three, is 50, right, the average of those three numbers is 50; but within that, the 60 and the 80 are both unconstitutional, right?” Atuahene said. “So two-thirds, two of the three right, are unconstitutional, but you can declare that on average, they’re following the law, and that’s exactly what’s happening.”

Atuahene applauded the city for getting the averages right, but says it still needs to reevaluate the over-assessed homes. She calls tax foreclosure “an act of legal violence” and says it should only happen with extreme precaution.

The coalition is also calling for Mayor Mike Duggan to admit the issue exists.

“The Duggan administration, study after study after study, refuses to acknowledge that the lower valued homes are still being overassessed,” Atuahene said. “Instead, they keep resting on the fact that, on average, the homes are being assessed at 50% so we’re calling on the Duggan administration to respect the data.”

The coalition released a study from the University of Chicago last year that showed overassessment of the value of these properties. City officials denied any systemic issues in the taxing process.

The City Assessor’s Office told WDET that the coalition has a poor success rate in assessment appeals, suggesting their claims are not supported by facts.

–Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley, WDET News

Other headlines for Monday, May 19, 2025:

• A group representing Michigan’s corrections officers is asking the state House of Representatives to send a package of bills affecting their retirement options to the governor, WKAR reports.
• Detroit City Council has confirmed Tanya Stoudemire as the city’s new Chief Financial Officer. Stoudemire — the first woman to hold the CFO title in Detroit — will succeed Jay Rising, who retired in April after 4 years on the job.
• Fridays at the Station returns to Michigan Central on Friday, May 23, with music from Malik Alston and the Linwood Ensemble performing with songstress Maurissa Rose. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Several tornado warnings and watches were issued across southeast Michigan overnight on Friday, as a line of severe storms made its way across the state.

A tornado warning was in effect for Lapeer County, Genesee County, Livingston County and parts of Oakland County, according to the National Weather Service. A tornado watch was in effect for all of southeast Michigan through 5 a.m. Friday. Tornado warnings were issues for several West Michigan counties as well.

The storm left thousands without power in West Michigan, Mid-Michigan and metro Detroit, according to Consumers Energy, Great Lakes Energy, and DTE outage maps.

Friday will be mostly sunny with a high of 84 degrees. Rain is forecasted for Friday evening, with scattered thunderstorms expected to continue through the weekend.

A mistrial was declared earlier this month in the murder trial for Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr. He faced one count of second-degree murder for shooting and killing 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids in April 2022.

When Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, attempted to flee during the traffic stop, Schurr chased and tackled him to the ground, engaging in a physical struggle before fatally shooting Lyoya in the back of the head, according to the case.

The trial began about a month ago, and after nearly four days of deliberations, the jury failed to reach a consensus. For many, the incident brings to light concerning national statistics that show Black people are twice as likely as white people to be shot and killed by police. 

Detroit Free Press politics reporter Arpan Lobo has been following the case closely. He joined The Metro to break it all down and share his reaction to the mistrial.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

The Michigan Court of Appeals has refused to consider a request by the Oxford High School shooter to withdraw his guilty pleas and challenge his life-without-parole sentence.

The appeals court panel rejected the request in an order issued Tuesday that said the appeal was denied “for lack of merit in the grounds presented.”

Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling were killed and six other students and a teacher were injured in the 2021 shootings.

The shooter, Ethan Crumbley, was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to 24 counts that included murder and terrorism.

When Crumbley filed his appeal in January, he was assigned a new legal team through the State Appellate Defender Office. That team argued that he had ineffective legal counsel during his appearances before the trial court. The filing also argued the life-without-parole sentence was unconstitutional and that the Oakland County Circuit Court judge failed to ensure the shooter’s rights were protected. His attorneys also argued the then-16-year-old likely suffered from the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome and mental health issues at the time he pleaded guilty.

His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for failing to secure the gun used in the shootings and ignoring signs that he posed a threat.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has abruptly dropped all charges against seven pro-Palestinian protesters arrested during an on-campus demonstration last year.

The felony charges alleged that the protesters were obstructing and resisting arrest as police were breaking up a pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Michigan Diag. 

Nessel was reportedly asked by members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents to investigate the protesters after local prosecutors decided not to press charges.

Civil rights attorney Amir Makled says it never made sense for the AG to get involved in the first place. Citing concerns of potential bias, Makled asked the judge in the case to urge the state end the prosecution.

“It is a little surprising that on the eve of a motion to disqualify the attorney general’s office that the defense filed, the AG decides to just drop the case entirely,” he said.

In a statement, Nessel denied allegations of bias and criticized the pace of the judge handling the case – calling the matter a “circus-like atmosphere.”

Nevertheless, Makled says dismissing the case was the right move.

“We hope this sends a clear message to institutions across the state and the nation that protest is not a crime and dissent is not disorder,” he said.

Nessel — who is Jewish — says her involvement in the case was not evidence of bias and called the accusation “baseless and absurd.”