Law enforcement: other; deportation task force; create. Creates new act.
SB 40 creates the Developing Effective Policies on Orderly Removal and Transportation (DEPORT) Task Force, a temporary legislative task force charged with studying and recommending policies related to the deportation of undocumented immigrants in Michigan. The task force would be appointed by the Speaker of the House and include legislators, law enforcement officials, sheriffs, police chiefs, county commissioners, local chief elected officials, prosecuting attorneys, and individuals with expertise in drug trafficking and human trafficking enforcement.
The task force’s core duties are to make recommendations to the Legislature on policies that would facilitate deportation efforts, improve training and guidance for local law enforcement and the Michigan State Police in dealing with undocumented immigrants and federal agencies, and encourage state and local criminal justice actors to assist the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in identifying undocumented immigrants in the criminal justice system. It must issue a preliminary report within one month of appointments, an updated report within three months, and a final report within one year. The task force is set to expire one year after members are appointed.
If enacted, the bill would create a new temporary advisory body within state government and require cooperation from state departments, committees, commissioners, and officers in providing information and assistance relevant to the task force’s work. It also exempts task force records from disclosure under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, limiting public access to its writings. The bill does not itself change immigration enforcement law directly, but it could influence future legislation, administrative practices, and local law enforcement policies by generating recommendations on deportation-related coordination with federal authorities.
The available context shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of formal debate or legislative support/opposition in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure is framed as a law-enforcement and public-safety study effort, but its focus on deportation of undocumented immigrants suggests it would likely draw strong reactions from both immigration enforcement supporters and critics concerned about civil liberties, local policing priorities, and state-federal cooperation. Because no voting history is provided, overall sentiment cannot be measured from the record here.
The main points of contention are likely the bill’s purpose and scope: whether Michigan should actively develop policies to facilitate deportation, and whether state and local law enforcement should be encouraged to identify undocumented immigrants for federal removal. Supporters would likely emphasize public safety, drug trafficking, and human trafficking enforcement, while opponents may object to the task force’s immigration-enforcement focus, the use of the term and acronym DEPORT, and the FOIA exemption for task force records. The bill also centralizes appointment power in the Speaker of the House, which could be another point of institutional concern.