Detroit Mayoral Candidate Refuses to Answer ICE Questions, Leaving Voters in Limbo.
As the 2026 gubernatorial election heats up, former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's campaign is facing scrutiny over its handling of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies. Despite being asked six detailed questions about how a Duggan administration would approach ICE policy, the campaign declined to answer any of them. Instead, campaign spokeswoman Andrea Bitely responded with generic statements that failed to provide clear direction on the issue.
Duggan's reluctance to address ICE comes as public opposition to the agency is surging nationwide. A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found that 65% of Americans believe ICE has "gone too far" in enforcing immigration laws, an 11-point jump since last summer. Six in ten disapprove of the job ICE is doing, and nearly the same share say the agency is making Americans less safe.
The shift in public opinion on ICE is being driven largely by independents and Democrats, who are increasingly opposed to the agency's tactics. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's approval rating stands at 39%, with 56% disapproving and 51% strongly disapproving of his handling of immigration.
Duggan's unwillingness to propose any limits on enforcement could have serious consequences if he is elected and ICE steps up actions in Michigan. In the first 10 months of 2025, ICE arrested over 2,300 immigrants in the state, with most not having a criminal record. Some were as young as four years old.
Critics warn that ICE's tactics are becoming increasingly cruel and deceptive, particularly in Michigan. Last June, Detroit police assisted ICE during a raid on the city's west side, where armed federal agents stormed a home and officers pepper-sprayed and arrested protesters. Duggan's administration later defended its role in managing demonstrators at the scene.
The refusal to address ICE comes as part of a broader shift in Duggan's language and policy stance. In 2022, he proudly declared Detroit as the state's first "Certified Welcoming" city, highlighting refugee resettlement. However, his rhetoric has hardened since then, with Duggan now saying that Detroit should not be shielding individuals from ICE enforcement.
The campaign insists that Duggan has not changed his views, only his party affiliation. However, by declining to answer what authority a Michigan governor should use to limit cooperation with ICE, whether schools and state facilities should be shielded from enforcement actions, or how he would respond to expanded federal operations, Duggan is leaving voters without clear answers on how he would use his power if elected.
As the 2026 governor's race tightens, early polling suggests that Duggan is gaining traction, with 26% of support. However, the survey also shows Republican John James at 34%, Democrat Jocelyn Benson at 32%, and Duggan's refusal to address ICE is becoming a major concern for voters.
As the 2026 gubernatorial election heats up, former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's campaign is facing scrutiny over its handling of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies. Despite being asked six detailed questions about how a Duggan administration would approach ICE policy, the campaign declined to answer any of them. Instead, campaign spokeswoman Andrea Bitely responded with generic statements that failed to provide clear direction on the issue.
Duggan's reluctance to address ICE comes as public opposition to the agency is surging nationwide. A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found that 65% of Americans believe ICE has "gone too far" in enforcing immigration laws, an 11-point jump since last summer. Six in ten disapprove of the job ICE is doing, and nearly the same share say the agency is making Americans less safe.
The shift in public opinion on ICE is being driven largely by independents and Democrats, who are increasingly opposed to the agency's tactics. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's approval rating stands at 39%, with 56% disapproving and 51% strongly disapproving of his handling of immigration.
Duggan's unwillingness to propose any limits on enforcement could have serious consequences if he is elected and ICE steps up actions in Michigan. In the first 10 months of 2025, ICE arrested over 2,300 immigrants in the state, with most not having a criminal record. Some were as young as four years old.
Critics warn that ICE's tactics are becoming increasingly cruel and deceptive, particularly in Michigan. Last June, Detroit police assisted ICE during a raid on the city's west side, where armed federal agents stormed a home and officers pepper-sprayed and arrested protesters. Duggan's administration later defended its role in managing demonstrators at the scene.
The refusal to address ICE comes as part of a broader shift in Duggan's language and policy stance. In 2022, he proudly declared Detroit as the state's first "Certified Welcoming" city, highlighting refugee resettlement. However, his rhetoric has hardened since then, with Duggan now saying that Detroit should not be shielding individuals from ICE enforcement.
The campaign insists that Duggan has not changed his views, only his party affiliation. However, by declining to answer what authority a Michigan governor should use to limit cooperation with ICE, whether schools and state facilities should be shielded from enforcement actions, or how he would respond to expanded federal operations, Duggan is leaving voters without clear answers on how he would use his power if elected.
As the 2026 governor's race tightens, early polling suggests that Duggan is gaining traction, with 26% of support. However, the survey also shows Republican John James at 34%, Democrat Jocelyn Benson at 32%, and Duggan's refusal to address ICE is becoming a major concern for voters.
he's trying to be all welcoming and stuff as the "certified welcoming" city but now hes refusing to answer how he'd handle ice policy if elected? that's like, major red flag in my book 
i get that americans are against ice policies but dont voters deserve to know what their candidate would do on day one?? 
... i mean, what does it say about us as a society that we're so divided on this issue? and yet, here we are, voting for leaders who refuse to take a stance 
... it's like, do we want to be governed by people who are more concerned with winning elections than doing what's right? 
... and what does it mean when they say "party affiliation" instead of actually being honest about their views? 
... it just feels like we're stuck in this cycle of fear and uncertainty, and it's hard to know who to trust anymore 
...
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It's not like we're expecting them to give away all their secrets or anything. And honestly, who knows what's going on behind the scenes anyway? Maybe Duggan really does have a solid plan in place for how he'd handle ICE, but isn't it better if he shares that with us instead of just playing it cool? 
2,300 immigrants arrested in Michigan last year, most with no record... sounds super sketchy to me. Duggan's campaign is dodging on ICE policies, which is kinda concerning for Michiganders. I think voters deserve straight answers from their future leaders. Can't trust a politician who won't talk about the issues that matter most 
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, Detroiters deserve better than just vague answers from their mayoral candidate. It's not fair that Andrea Bitely keeps saying the same generic stuff without addressing the real concerns. What happened to transparency and accountability? I mean, we all know Duggan wants to win the election, but at what cost to his values? 
It's not like it's some complicated thing, right? He's basically saying "I don't wanna answer your questions" and that's just not reassuring, you know? 
I mean, 65% of Americans think ICE has gone too far... shouldn't a candidate be able to give us some direction on how they'd handle it if they're elected? 
This whole thing is just leaving me feeling kinda lost, and I don't think that's what we need in an election. 
and we need to know if our next governor can actually protect us 
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. We gotta hold our elected officials accountable, no matter what side they're on 
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... Duggan says he hasn't changed his views, but his actions speak louder than words 
. It's time for some transparency and clear leadership from our candidates 
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, not just vague statements that do nothing to address the problem 
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. Not answering questions is just gonna leave voters in the dark about what you'd do if you're elected 
. Maybe we can all just try to have a calm conversation about it instead of making assumptions? 
. We need to dig deeper and ask the tough questions ourselves.
and pepper-spraying protesters in Detroit 
it's a total disaster, folks! Duggan's refusal to answer questions about his stance on ICE is super concerning 
. The fact that 65% of Americans think ICE has "gone too far" in enforcing immigration laws shouldn't be ignored 
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I can totally understand why you'd be worried about this, it feels like Detroit is already dealing with enough stress 
. With the way ICE policies are going, it's scary to think that your mayor wouldn't know how they would handle things if they were in charge