LANSING, Mich. — Speaker Pro Tempore Rachelle Smit today issued the following statement after federal immigration officers arrested an illegal alien in Wyoming, Michigan, who had previously been convicted in Kent County of criminal sexual conduct involving a minor.

Smit said the incident exposes a deeper systemic problem: Michigan families are being placed at risk because dangerous offenders who should never have been able to reenter the country are successfully resettling in local communities.

“Public safety collapses when prevention fails. A convicted child predator was able to reenter the United States and quietly live among Michigan families. That breakdown in enforcement is what puts real people at risk,” Smit said. “Michigan families should not be left vulnerable to risks that are entirely preventable through clear priorities, strong coordination, and firm accountability.”

Federal authorities report that the individual, previously convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor, was arrested during a targeted operation aimed at identifying criminal foreign nationals illegally present in the United States.

“Biden-era enforcement priorities have weakened deterrence at the border, while sanctuary-style policies in major cities across the country make it easier for dangerous offenders to slip through the system and reappear in states like Michigan,” Smit said. “When the national posture toward enforcement softens, every community pays the price.”

House Republicans have long pushed for stronger safeguards, better data sharing between agencies, and accountability measures that prevent dangerous individuals from evading detection. This arrest clearly reinforces why those efforts matter and why Michigan cannot afford to weaken the standards that keep families safe.

Smit emphasized that the arrest, while necessary, underscores a troubling reality: Michigan residents are bearing the downstream consequences of enforcement gaps that do not meaningfully deter reentry by individuals with serious criminal histories.

“Michigan is forced to absorb the consequences of inconsistent border enforcement,” Smit said. “Local police departments, schools, and families are left reacting to threats rather than being protected from them. That is backwards. Effective governance prioritizes prevention, not cleanup after failure.”

Smit outlined several priorities she believes are essential for restoring public confidence and strengthening community safety:

1. Robust federal-state information sharing to ensure individuals with serious criminal convictions are immediately identified and removed, rather than allowed to resettle in residential areas.
2. Clear, enforceable standards that prevent sanctuary-style gaps where dangerous offenders can evade detection despite existing criminal records.
3. Transparent reporting mechanisms so communities are not left in the dark about risks federal agencies already know exist.

“Michigan is not a sanctuary state, and we must not normalize the presence of convicted violent offenders living unlawfully among families who assume their government is protecting them,” Smit said. “This arrest, though necessary, should not be viewed as a one-off success… but instead as evidence that the current approach is insufficient. Our residents deserve systems designed to prevent these dangers, not systems that rely on luck.”

Smit concluded by thanking federal officers for their work and reaffirming the state’s commitment to lawful, responsible cooperation in identifying and removing dangerous individuals.

“ICE agents did their job. Now policymakers in D.C. and Lansing must do ours.”

###