Kalamazoo Township Supervisor David Combs wants to defy President Donald Trump, but other local leaders aren’t convinced it’s a good idea.

Six Democrats and one Republican on the township board voted 5-1 on Monday to table a slate of four measures proposed by Combs, including a move to transform the township a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants.

Combs, who serves as vice chair of the Kalamazoo County Democratic Party, told WWMT his proposals are a direct response to several executive orders Trump signed last week, including efforts to end birthright citizenship, and recognition of biological sex as gender.

They include a non-discrimination ordinance update, a resolution recognizing citizenship of everyone born in the United States, a resolution recognizing all gender identities and sexual orientations, and an immigration enforcement ordinance that would ban the use of township resources to assist federal immigration enforcement.

“That includes personnel, police officers, vehicles, our facilities here in the building, but also data and any of the servers and the information that we maintain,” Combs told the news site, insisting the proposals aren’t political.

All of the proposals were shelved Monday over concerns about how they could jeopardize federal funding for major projects and potential public opposition, MLive reports. House Speaker Matt Hall also voiced opposition:

Kalamazoo Township is considering a new ordinance *tonight* to adopt sanctuary city policies and refuse to cooperate with law enforcement. This decision would be a disaster for public safety and for the Kalamazoo community. Read my response here: pic.twitter.com/b2UlswTNM4

— Speaker Matt Hall (@RepMattHall) January 27, 2025

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“Regardless of what any of our political leanings are up here, we represent a community of diverse people with diverse opinions on these matters,” Clerk Lisa Mackie said. “I want us to all proceed with caution.”

“We need more time to consider this,” Trustee Craig Sherwood said. “As a board, we need to do more fact finding and we need to hear from our community.”

Combs was the only board member to vote against the move to table his proposals, while those who weighed in professed both support and opposition.

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“I was very pleased and I supported totally all the things that the supervisor had outlined,” said former Kalamazoo Township Treasurer George Cochran. “As a veteran, it’s part of what I served for.”

“This seems to be more of a federal fight,” Republican Trustee Toni Kennedy said.

The resistance in Kalamazoo comes as Trump’s Department of Justice works to identify state and local officials who “threaten to impede” the largest deportation operation in American history, The Associated Press reports.

“Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests,” read a recent memo from Trump Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “The U.S. Attorney’s Offices and litigating components of the Department of Justice shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution.”

“Indeed, it is the responsibility of the Justice Department to defend the Constitution, and accordingly, to lawfully execute the policies that the American people elected President Trump to implement,” Bove wrote.

Combs has a different perspective.

He told WWMT the township will ignore the federal government to instead follow state policies, regardless of the consequences.

“We will, when there’s a discrepancy between the federal and state, we’re going to defer to the state of Michigan, because that’s where we are,” he said.

While the conversation about defying Trump will continue in Kalamazoo, with no timeline on taking up the controversial proposals, Combs is creating a sanctuary in his taxpayer funded office, according to MLive.

“If you live in this township, you’re welcome in this township,” he said. “I don’t care what political party you’re of, I don’t care what you look like (or) what your story is. You are welcome here and you’re safe here and you’re safe in my office.”