KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Kent County leaders are setting the record straight, denying "sanctuary" status claims made by a nonprofit group following the death of Ruby Garcia.
Garcia, 25, was shot and killed on Friday, March 22. She was found along US-131 with multiple gunshot wounds.
Days later, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, admitted to killing her. It is believed Garcia and Ortiz-Vite were in a relationship, and Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker has referenced the case as "another case of a domestic violence homicide."
Ortiz-Vite is facing felony murder, open murder, carjacking and two weapons charges in connection to Garcia's death.
Kent County's status as a "sanctuary county" has come back into focus since investigators found that Ortiz-Vite has been in the country illegally since at least 2020.
The Center for Immigration Studies is based in Washington D.C. It is described as a "nonpartisan, pro-immigrant" organization. The group named Kent County as a sanctuary county in 2019.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies' website, a sanctuary county means local leaders "obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE."
In a letter to the center, Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young and administrator Al Vanderberg say that is not true in Kent County. They say while the sheriff's office has not had a formal agreement with ICE since 2019, Kent County has never been a sanctuary.
LaJoye-Young says her office consistently works with ICE, allowing their officers to investigate people of interest in the Kent County Jail.
The letter concludes with, "The data clearly demonstrates the KCSO's commitment to working collaboratively with ICE on all detainers or notice of intent requests to ensure public safety, due process and the rule of law for all."
LaJoye-Young and Vanderberg then ask the Center for Immigration Studies to remove Kent County from their list of sanctuary counties.
The Kent County Commission Caucus of Republicans also demanded the county be removed from the sanctuary list, claiming that a sanctuary status "signals to those in our country illegally that Kent County is a safe haven for criminal activity."
The caucus wrote a separate letter saying they support the "sheriff's commitment to preserving law and order" and "welcome and celebrate those who legally immigrate to the United States."
This is not coming without pushback.
Democratic commissioner Ivan Diaz posted on Twitter, saying he is deeply disappointed but not surprised by his colleagues' stance.
"At the beginning of every meeting, the same commissioners who read from the Bible to profess their faith choose to paint immigrants as some kind of threat. Doesn't Luke 10:27 say we must love our neighbors as we do ourselves?" Diaz said.
The Center for Immigration Studies has not responded publicly to demands to remove Kent County from their list.
The discussion about immigration following Garcia's death has led to calls for higher security at the border from Michigan politicians. Donald Trump also announced Thursday that he will visit Grand Rapids on Tuesday to address immigration in Michigan.
Meanwhile, Garcia is being remembered as a beloved member of her family who would brighten up the room with her smile. She loved plants and traveling, and could bring a smile to anyone's face with her contagious laugh.
"I honestly don't have no words to explain how loved my sister was and the kind of person she was," said Mavi Garcia, Ruby's sister. "She was just that funny person, a loving person."
If you or someone you know is in an unsafe relationship and need help, know there are resources available. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 at 800-799-7233. You can also text START to 88788.
Puertas Abiertas is an organization that serves Latina women and their children in Kent County.
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