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Published February 24th, 2026, 10:05 pm

About a thousand protesters showed up to city hall in Romulus to protest a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in the city. 

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, who is hoping to win the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State was also there. "I make sure that people have the power to vote against those who would want to sign off on a budget that would approve these kind of expenditures... that would approve this kind of ICE personnel deployment," said Gilchrist. "That is unacceptable, and we need ICE out of Michigan." 

Romulus City Council voted unanimously to condemn the proposed detention center, but admitted they still have not received formal confirmation of the building's sale to the federal government.

-Reporting by Russ McNamara 

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026

Whitmer will use State of the State to talk affordable housing

Governor Gretchen Whitmer will use her State of the State address Wednesday to call for more programs to address a shortage of affordable housing in Michigan.

Her plans include an affordable housing tax credit to spur development, cuts to regulations and faster approval of building permits. The governor has expressed concerns that President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs will add thousands of dollars to the costs of home-building materials. The governor delivers her State of the State address the evening following the president's State of the Union address tonight. (MPRN) 

New office of Community Safety

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has established a new office of Neighborhood and Community Safety. Its goal is to help prevent domestic violence and promote conflict resolution.

Teferi Brent will lead the office. He says domestic abuse is a major source of violence that the city needs to address. Brent says that effort would further lower the number of homicides, which hit a 60-year low in 2025. 

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

Detroit Historical Society celebrates Women's History Month

The Detroit Historical Society is kicking off Women’s History Month with ‘Love and Flowers: A tribute to Detroit’s Black Matriarchs’ Sunday. 

 The event is a celebration of caregivers past and present and an opportunity to reflect on the question of what it looks like to honor the Black women who "built… nurtured and fought for a better Detroit."

Registration is through the Black Bottom Archives as a part of its Bottom Up series of community programs exploring memory, storytelling and Black Detroit’s living history.

A museum membership is required for admission, but the Detroit Historical Museum offers a free membership to Detroiters and individual memberships starting at $60 on its website.

Literacy fundraiser

The Flint Unity Farming Project is having a popcorn fundraiser to support is literacy and learning programs.

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Protestors, midterm candidates gather outside Romulus city hall to denounce ICE detention center

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