Michigan lawmakers and faith leaders demand Southfield building owners cancel lease used by ICE

Elected officials who represent Southfield on the state and federal level joined faith leaders and community members to demand that REDICO, the building management of One Towne Square in Southfield, where ICE is using an office leased to the U.S. General Services Administration for its legal team, cancel the lease in a Wednesday afternoon press conference and rally near the building.

“ICE is leasing a new office here, I hate even calling it an office, a deportation machine here in Southfield, to fill it up with lawyers and administrators who will carry out this fascist police state,” said U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit).

REDICO confirmed that the lease is not directly with ICE itself, but is with the General Services Administration for general office use only. The lease, which will house the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, ICE’s legal wing, first became known to the public in February, and this is the second such rally outside the office building.

“In early February, we learned that OPLA, the lawyers for ICE, the people whose job it is to defend the agency’s many abuses, who decide how big a child’s cage can legally be, were renting space five minutes from our beautiful neighborhood,” Lauren Fink, a member of the Southfield Neighbors Action Committee, said.

“They say that they’re proud to be headquartered here in Southfield. They say that they love Southfield too,” Fink said of REDICO. “We’ve got a great idea for how they can show it.”

“REDICO is aware of the community protest that was held outside of our office building on Wednesday, March 11 and the general concerns that have been raised in recent weeks. We take these concerns seriously,” a media statement from REDICO said. “From the beginning, we have been in close communication with our employees and tenants and have had ongoing discussions with city officials and community leaders. We will continue meeting with city and community leaders and remain committed to transparency.”

Tlaib also urged other REDICO tenants to cancel their own leases or otherwise put pressure on building management to cancel the lease.

“You hear that REDICO, we’re making it clear to you all, no matter how many times you try to convince us we want them out,” Tlaib said.

Lisa Tencer, interim executive director of Detroit Jews for Justice, indicated organizers may be making progress towards changing REDICO’s mind on canceling the lease, saying, “We’re talking to REDICO, and it’s working.”

The actual terms of the lease were brought up by Father Chris Yaw of the St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, which he said that the company is breaking by allowing ICE to use the building.

“The owners of this building have said clearly that their lease allows general office use and forbids detention or law enforcement activity,” Yaw said. “We welcome the transparency, we welcome the clarity, we welcome conversation. But I’m here to say that law enforcement activity means ICE lawyers working to arrest, detain and ship out our neighbors. And I join my friends here in asking this landlord: Enforce this lease. Exercise your option to send these lawyers packing because they’ve broken your agreement.”

“Should the terms of the lease be violated, REDICO is prepared to fully enforce the agreement,” REDICO said in a media statement. “The safety and security of employees, tenants and the community is our top priority.”

Throughout the event, both speakers and attendees demanded ICE out of their community, including chanting, “No office, no lease, we want ICE off our streets” while marching towards the One Towne Square building.

“This ICE office does not represent our community’s values,” said state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield). “We want ICE out of Southfield. We want ICE out of Oakland County. We want ICE out of metro Detroit. We want ICE out of the state of Michigan.”

He also discussed a package of bills currently making its way through the Michigan Senate seeking to limit the actions of federal immigration agents, one of which he sponsored to prevent ICE agents from wearing masks.

“We have seen the lawlessness that ICE agents have conducted across the country,” Moss continued. “They have breached our Constitution. They have racially profiled. They have stripped people of their rights. They have kidnapped kids and separated families, and tragically, they have killed protesters in the street. We do not want ICE’s lawlessness to permeate here in Michigan, so we’re here to stand up and push back and represent our true community’s values.”