Government

Detroit City Council Passes Councilmember Ayers’ Fair Chance Housing Ordinance

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE — Detroit City Council Member-at-Large Janeé Ayers and Mayor Mike Duggan today celebrated the passage of the Councilmember’s Fair Chance Ordinance

Published

7 years ago

February 17, 2019

Michigan Chronicle Staff

By Michigan Chronicle Staff

Detroit City Council Member-at-Large Janeé Ayers and Mayor Mike Duggan today celebrated the passage of the Councilmember’s Fair Chance Ordinance, which will require most rental housing in the City to follow a “Ban the Box” policy for returning citizens and covers everything from apartment complexes to single family homes.

Every month, nearly 200 former prisoners come back to Detroit every month and are faced with a choice: start on a new path, or stay on the old one. Whether they choose a new path depends largely on the opportunities or lack of opportunities they see available to them. With a 75% recidivism rate, it’s clear the city has not been doing enough. To help address that, Ayers and the Detroit City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass the Fair Chance Housing ordinance.

“When former prisoners return to the city they often have nowhere to go – no roof over their head or a place to lay their head at night,” said Councilmember Ayers. “Many have lost connections with friends and family and even if they are fortunate enough to find jobs and afford rent, they are often turned away because of their previous record.”

The only rental units that will be exempted are those of small landlords with a portfolio of less than five units. A “Ban the Box” policy will prevent landlords from asking potential renters about their criminal background until the landlord has determined that the candidate is qualified to rent under all other phases of the application process.

“I commend the Mayor and his administration for their support and work on this issue; my colleagues for voting unanimously to move this ordinance forward; the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and Michigan United for their lobbying efforts with this legislation and all of our partners in the Returning Citizens’ Task Force for their tremendous leadership on this issue,” said Ayers.

How it works

The Fair Chance Ordinance will require most rental housing in the City to follow a “Ban the Box” policy for returning citizens and covers everything from apartment complexes to single family homes. The only rental units that will be exempted are those of small landlords with a portfolio of less than five units. A “Ban the Box” policy will prevent landlords from asking potential renters about their criminal background until the landlord has determined that the candidate is qualified to rent under all other phases of the application process.

Once this is determined, the landlord may investigate the applicant’s criminal history. If the applicant has a criminal record, they may be denied housing only for crimes relevant to the safety of other people or property, like violent crimes, crimes resulting in a lifetime registry on the sex offenders list, arson, etc; or for felonies committed within the past 10 years or resulting in imprisonment within the past five years. If the landlord wants to deny an applicant based on their criminal history, the landlord must allow the applicant to provide evidence of rehabilitation that would show they are a good candidate despite their criminal record. If an applicant feels they have been discriminated against under the ordinance, they will have the right to file a complaint with the City’s Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity. The Department will then investigate and if a violation is found, the Detroit Police Department will issue a ticket for a misdemeanor that will then be taken up by the 36th District Court.

Ensuring access to safe, reliable housing

Multiple empirical research studies have demonstrated that policies ensuring that those returning from incarceration have access to reliable and safe housing help reduce recidivism rates.

“I am proud to stand with Councilmember Ayers on this important issue for our returning citizens,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “The Fair Chance Ordinance is a necessary step forward in that direction and just the start to ensuring our returning citizens feel welcome in our city and have fair access to the resources they need.”

Beyond housing, the city will continue our partnerships at the state and federal level on “ban the box” policies in the hiring process and continue our work with the Returning Citizens’ Task Force to provide job training, expungements, identification and other resources to this vulnerable population.

“My father is an educated, hardworking and loving man but was in and out of prison for most of my life. Many of the Detroiters I represent and speak to across the city have struggled with loved ones falling into the cycle of repeat incarceration because they have no support network when they come home,” said Councilmember Ayers. “This issue is deeply personal to me but it is also just common sense. We often talk about being tough on crime, but we also must be smart on crime. I have spent my time in office working hard for this vulnerable population and also for the public safety of all Detroiters. If we want to have a city and a society that truly believes in redemption and rehabilitation, then we must ensure that our citizens who have served their time can reintegrate and have a fresh start and a fair chance.

This article originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle.

Michigan Chronicle Staff

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Business

Car Wash Workers Cope with Lingering Impacts of ICE Raids

WAVE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — Hundreds of car wash workers across Southern California have been detained in federal immigration raids, leaving lingering impacts on families and communities. Mario, a 33-year U.S. resident and father of three, was arrested at a Santa Ana car wash last August and held for two months.

Published

4 days ago

August 10, 2026

bpusa-syndication

LOS ANGELES — Mario relied on his job in the car wash industry to raise his three children. It was during a shift at a Santa Ana car wash last August that he was arrested by federal agents, taken to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center and held for two months.

“They made me sleep on the cold floor for a week without a blanket, a toothbrush or basic medical care for the injured man next to me,” Mario, a 33-year resident of the United States, said at a news conference earlier this summer at Inglewood’s Crenshaw Imperial Car Wash, which is now closed after being raided by federal agents.

Mario, who is being identified only by his first name for safety reasons, is among hundreds of car wash workers detained across Southern California in the year since the Trump administration began an aggressive immigration crackdown in the region, according to the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center.

News of raids by masked agents has faded from the headlines, but the effects still linger for those caught in the crosshairs. Family members have been deported or left to languish in detention, and many who remain live with the fear of being hunted down by immigration officers.

At least 373 car wash workers have been detained at car washes across Southern California since the raids began last summer, according to figures compiled by CLEAN. The group’s data also shows federal agents raided or attempted to raid at least 106 car washes in communities across Los Angeles, Orange County and surrounding areas, including Inglewood, Culver City, Westchester, Bell and Whittier.

CLEAN, an advocacy group founded in 2007, has been fighting to protect car wash workers from exploitation and unsafe conditions. When the raids began last year, the group sprang into action, working around the clock to help detained workers and provide their families with legal and financial support.

“We gathered our information from workers, managers, and owners of the car washes that were being raided,” CLEAN Deputy Director Andrea Gonzalez said. “We also gathered information from rapid response teams who were on the ground responding to the raids.”

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment on the group’s findings.

Mario said he was one of seven workers at the Harbor Blvd Car Wash detained on the same day last August, but the only one who has been released. He said he refused to sign deportation papers and is fighting to stay in the United States, a process that has drained his family emotionally and financially.

“Being released is not the same as being free,” he said.

During Mario’s detention at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, his wife and children struggled to cope with his sudden absence while fighting for his release, his wife Alejandra said.

“The employer gave us a video showing my husband being taken away under arrest, treated worse than a common criminal, with chains binding his legs, arms and waist,” Alejandra said. “It wasn’t right.”

The experience of a car wash worker named José was recounted at the news conference by the Rev. Andy Schwiebert of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, who said agents “took him” from the La Cienega Car Wash last August.

José’s wife is a U.S. citizen, Schwiebert said, and José had a pathway to gaining citizenship before he was detained. By the time a judge ordered his release on bond, the car wash had shut down, Schwiebert said, leaving José without a job.

“These raids did not just target workers; they destabilized families, congregations, workplaces and entire communities,” Schwiebert said.

The administration’s aggressive enforcement operations have continued across the nation in the months since José’s and Mario’s detention, with ICE arrests in July surging to their highest rate so far under President Donald Trump.

Last month, ICE agents shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old father of three in Houston. Less than a week later, an immigration officer fatally shot 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Duran Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine.

Back in Inglewood, Mario said he was grateful to share his story and that, even though he was released, his experience in detention stays with him.

“I still feel frustrated and traumatized,” Mario said, “because my life is no longer the same as it used to be.”

Ernesto Ureño is a Loyola Marymount University journalism major and intern at Capital & Main, a nonprofit publication focused on inequality. It is published here with permission.

Based on reporting by Wave Community Newspapers.

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Community

As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate

POST NEWS GROUP — Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.

Published

5 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

By City of Berkeley, California

Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins

Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.

Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.

Families are encouraged to:

Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.

If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.

See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.

FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13

Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.

Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:

Call: (510) 981-5350
Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
Book online

Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:

Medicaid-eligible
Uninsured
Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
American Indian or Alaska Native

If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.

FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES

Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.

Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.

VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
Family support services:
- West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
- Women, Infants, and Children program

Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

Community

As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate

Published

5 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

By City of Berkeley, California

Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins

Families are encouraged to:

Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.

See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.

FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13

Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.

Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:

Call: (510) 981-5350
Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
Book online

Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:

Medicaid-eligible
Uninsured
Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
American Indian or Alaska Native

If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.

FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.

Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.

VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
Family support services:
- West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
- Women, Infants, and Children program

Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.