Organizers with the Detroit Community Action Committee say they've been pushing for Detroit to designate itself as a sanctuary city, and now they're renewing the effort. 

"We want to protect our neighbors," said Kassandra Rodriguez, who helps organize the group. 

Rodriguez said that right now, Detroit is a "welcoming" city, but she wants it to adopt sanctuary city policies. 

"I 100% think that doesn't go far enough. Over the course of this last year alone, we've had four different high school students be deported out of Detroit," she said. "It's something that should concern all residents, and it's something that our city council should have a very, very strong opinion on." 

According to the ACLU, the words "welcoming" and "sanctuary" are often used interchangeably, and there isn't a legal definition. However, a "welcoming city" typically means one that doesn't require police officers and other officials to ask for a person's immigration status, while a "sanctuary city" takes that a step further, and the city declines to cooperate with immigration efforts. 

"Generally, like local police officers, they can use deadly force when necessary to protect themselves, when necessary to protect members of the public," said Jonathan Weinberg, a distinguished professor of law at Wayne State University.

Weinberg said ICE officers could be subject to the same investigation as a local cop after a shooting, like the incident on Wednesday in Minneapolis. He said he thinks a sanctuary city designation wouldn't stop federal officials from coming to Detroit.

"If anything, it'll make the administration, you know, more likely to swarm the city with federal law enforcement," he said. 

However, Rodriguez disagrees. 

"I think, as we've already seen with the violent attacks we've seen in other cities, I think all of us already have a target on our back. If we really want to protect our residents, there's nothing wrong with putting in policy that does that. A sanctuary city ordinance is not something to be scared of," she said.