UPDATE - 2:00pm, Wednesday, February 1. The City of East Lansing has passed a resolution stating that it "will continue to be a safe haven for those immigrants and refugess yearning to be free and provide sanctuary to those persons." East Lansing has not declared itself a sanctuary city, one that takes measures to shelter immigrants who may be in the country illegally and do not enforce federal immigration laws.
Blowing snow and wind chills in the teens did not deter hundreds from gathering at The Rock at Michigan State University Tuesday evening.
Those on hand were united against President Donald Trump's recent executive order suspending refugee resettlement and entry into the U.S. of people from several countries.
Campus groups represented at the rally included MSU's Muslim Student Association and the student-led social justice organization, Project Nur.
East Lansing City Council member and MSU professor Erik Altman was among several who addressed the crowd, saying "we're in the fight of our lives".
"All this nonsense would stop if our state legislature and our congress looked like this crowd I'm looking at right now", continued Altman. The councilman drew his largest reaction after declaring "we're going to consider a resolution declaring East Lansing a sanctuary city."
Sarah Midzalkowski, an Episcopal priest and leader of MSU's Episcopal-Lutheran campus ministry concluded the meeting, urging those present to "do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with our God."
