January 31, 2026
The NAACP and allied groups say recent fatal encounters tied to immigration enforcement reflect a national crisis, not an isolated incident.
NAACP Civil rights leaders in Detroit Michigan joined with community organizations on Jan. 30 to denounce recent deadly confrontations involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement, framing the violence as a nationwide issue that demands urgent federal response.
Speaking at a gathering organized by the NAACP Detroit Branch, Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, the chapter’s president, said the clashes linked to immigration enforcement in Minneapolis should not be viewed as a local matter. “This is not just a Minneapolis problem,” Anthony said. “This is an American problem — not a Minneapolis tragedy. This is an American tragedy. This is not law and order. This is chaos and disorder.”
Anthony referenced fatal shootings earlier this month involving an ICE agent and U.S. Customs and Border Protection during protests in Minneapolis. American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed amid demonstrations opposing federal immigration actions, according to organizers.
Community advocates emphasized that the deaths highlight broader concerns about civil liberties and accountability. Nabih Ayad, founder of the Arab American Civil Rights League, invoked the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while criticizing the current state of the country. “As the great Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’” Ayad said. “With all due respect, what is going on in this country — this is not the America that we know.”
Speakers repeatedly stressed that their concerns transcend party politics, urging lawmakers to address immigration enforcement practices through legislative reform. Detroit leaders called on Congress to reconsider policies governing ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that current approaches endanger lives and erode public trust.
“We gather today united in our belief that the value of human life and the value of law must be upheld throughout this nation we all call home,” said Mary Carmen Munoz, executive director of La SED.
Organizers concluded by framing the issue as a matter of fundamental rights rather than ideology, saying the deaths tied to immigration enforcement underscore the need for accountability, transparency, and humane policy nationwide.
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