LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — A political rift is widening between Michigan lawmakers over immigration enforcement after Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan faced backlash for using the term “illegal” to describe some immigrants.

The controversy erupted when Duggan defended Detroit police cooperating with federal immigration authorities, saying: “When Detroit police make a criminal arrest and get federal notification that the person in custody is in the country illegally, we should not and do not shield you from federal enforcement.”

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He dismissed criticism of his remarks as “political correctness,” according to the Detroit Free Press.

His comments triggered a response from immigrant advocacy groups and some Democratic leaders, including U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), who condemned Duggan’s language at a press conference in southwest Detroit on January 29.

“The Mayor’s use of the I-word is inappropriate, dehumanizing, and an insult to Detroit’s longstanding immigrant communities,” the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center stated in a press release.

Advocates expressed concern over increased immigration enforcement, with Seydi Sarr, founder of the African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs in Detroit, saying that ICE operating “in our communities is here to terrorize … to disrupt the life and erode the trust.”

Duggan, however, stood by his remarks, saying, “Groups who oppose this position are criticizing me today over the political correctness of my statements, but I do not apologize for providing a clear explanation of Detroit’s position. It is a position we have followed consistently through the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations.”