The City of Kalamazoo will not be accepting a $1.25 million federal grant that would have helped fund 10 new public safety officers for the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety due to uncertain stipulations tied to the funding.
The money was offered through the 2025 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program from the U.S. Department of Justice.
City Manager Pulls Grant From Agenda
City Manager Malcolm Hankins pulled the item from Monday night's city commission agenda at the start of the meeting, citing the need for additional review of the long-term implications of accepting the award.
"It also effectively means non-acceptance of the grant at this time," Hankins said.
The grant would have covered 75 percent of entry-level salaries and benefits for 10 new officers over three years, with the city required to retain those positions for at least a year after federal funding ended. The total budget amendment requested of the commission was $1.52 million.
Community Rallies Against Immigration Conditions
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After Hankins' announcement to remove the agenda item, the packed commission chambers erupted in applause from residents who had come to speak out against the grant. There were 39 conditions attached to the grant, including a requirement that the city comply with all applicable federal laws, presidential memoranda and executive orders.
An hour and a half of public comment included dozens of community members and advocacy groups thanking the commission for rejecting the offer, stating that the award conditions could force local police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
NAACP Kalamazoo President Wendy Fields told commissioners the language was "stringent, highly detailed and subjective," and said it appeared to allow the federal government "broad authority to investigate or monitor citizens and non-citizens."
Several commenters called out a condition that would prohibit grant recipients from operating any programs with diversity, equity and inclusion components that the federal government deemed discriminatory.
Concerns About ICE Activity
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The City Commission did not say whether the grant would return to the agenda.
The grant included a requirement that the city comply with 8 U.S.C. section 1373, a federal statute related to sharing immigration-status information. Immigration law enforcement activities, increased under the second Trump administration, have led to alleged violations of due process, inappropriate detention, and several high-profile deaths across the country.
Despite the grant's removal, community members rallied outside City Hall and spoke during the public comment section of the meeting. Many raised concerns about how the grant's immigration-related conditions might affect Kalamazoo residents, saying recent ICE activity has heightened fear in the community, and accepting the grant could put residents at risk.
Several thanked the commission for pulling the item and urged them to either permanently remove it or vote against the grant if it returns for consideration.
Grant Would Have Funded 10 New Officers
The $1.25 million would have funded 10 new Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers for three years, according to city documents. Those positions were needed to support the city's growing population and the influx of event center visitors.
The grant was offered through the COPS Hiring Program, which provides federal grants to states and localities to recruit, hire, and retain qualified public safety personnel. The program has been subject to criticism for tying funding to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The grant had been up for consideration on March 3, but was removed from the agenda then, too. "We came to the conclusion that the votes are not there and the language is problematic," Duncan said. "Rather than even voting no on it, we decided to take it off the agenda tonight."