Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/author/skeltont/)
The city of Lansing is known for its diverse population and its school district is no exception. According to the Lansing School District, nearly 70 countries are represented among its population of students.
A special council meeting held on April 12 consisted of a vote to rescind the sanctuary city resolution and title. The vote concluded with a 5-2 vote to rescind the resolution.
It is official; the Lansing City Council has unanimously voted and declared Lansing a sanctuary city. Prior to the meeting on April 3 where the vote took place, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero released an executive order that clarified policies in place for city officials and law enforcement to more effectively protect immigrant and refugees in the community. In Bernero’s executive order, he stated the following:
“We are confident these new policies do not violate federal law, but we are also prepared to take legal action to protect the prerogatives and powers of local government and local law enforcement,” Bernero said. “We do not want our local police to become de facto immigration agents— especially under the divisive and draconian direction of the Trump administration.”
The council agreed. “I think is one time that the city of Lansing has got it right; we are aligned and I think this addressed all the things we are getting in our emails, within our phone calls, within our conversations,” Council Member Judi Brown Clarke said at the meeting Monday.
Whether it be for a locally brewed beer, a leisurely brunch or just a quick trip through a drive-thru, Lansing accommodates restaurant enthusiasts. Local favorites like The Soup Spoon Café located on 1419 E. Michigan Ave., offer the area a casual fine dining experience with an extensive menu of brunch, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a variety of drink options. Manager at The Soup Spoon Café Angela Mills says that restaurant began about 10 years ago in just the center room of the restaurant. Now, the dinning experience has expanded onto the west and east sides of the original venue, offering more space throughout three distinct rooms.
Mills says the popularity of The Soup Spoon Café comes from the relationship they have built with the surrounding population. “I think because we have grown up with the community,” Mills said.
Whether it be getting to the location of the appointment or locating a specialist, Lansing is no exception to the problem of health care access for children. Pam Riley Miklavcic knows. Her oldest son was diagnosed with cancer at the age of three. “While we were taking him and we had accesses to all the resources we needed to care for him,” Miklavcic said. “It was so evident, that seeing too many other families, that medical care can be great but if you do not have the support and ability to access that care you are not going to thrive.
About 24 years ago, Kim Winter and her husband started Lansing’s largest homeschool support group, Christian Home Educators’ Support System (CHESS). Years later the organization has grown to serve nearly 300 homeschooling families in the greater Lansing area. CHESS focuses on helping parents and training them to be better teachers for their children. Additionally, they provide co-op meetings and enrichment days for students. With a home school community like Lansing’s, Winter says there are frequent opportunities for students to engage with each other.
The Lansing City Council continues to delay actions that would declare Lansing a sanctuary city. City Council Member Judi Brown Clarke says the council needs more time to look at the language and get legal opinion on President Donald Trump’s recent executive order. “We are still on hold,” Clarke said. While Lansing continues to hold off with a new resolution on immigration policies, earlier this month East Lansing affirmed a resolution declaring the city a safe haven for refugees. Clarke says that Lansing’s current policies are similar to East Lansing’s recent resolution.
Living day to day without stable housing is a reality for many residents throughout the community. With poverty rates in Lansing well above national average, the community offers the homeless population a variety of resources.
The possibility of Lansing becoming a sanctuary city continues to create controversy within the community. The conflict has been most prominent in the community in recent months, but an original draft was proposed over a year ago.