Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is facing renewed scrutiny over his immigration and domestic policy positions after a 2018 interview resurfaced showing him advocating for the US to welcome asylum seekers and refusing to commit state resources to federal immigration enforcement.
The footage, recorded during El-Sayed’s campaign for governor, has spread widely on X, garnering millions of views after being shared by outlets. The former Detroit health department official used the interview to argue that America had an obligation to admit people seeking a better life.
Asked about refugees, El-Sayed offered a broader defense of immigration, saying the country should welcome those who see the United States as a place to improve their circumstances.
“They are coming here because they believe in an America where they too can have a better life,” El-Sayed said, according to Bridge Michigan. “And we, as a country, I believe owe it to the world to open our doors and we’re better because of it, right?”
El-Sayed also promised that a governor’s office under his control would keep state taxpayer money and law enforcement agencies out of federal immigration enforcement efforts. He characterized the federal policy as “at best, incoherent and at worst is heartless.”
He pledged not to involve the state police or Department of Corrections in assisting federal authorities, arguing that deportations tear families apart and remove workers from Michigan’s economy.
“Because every time we watch these deportations you are talking about a family that has been torn apart and you are talking about a portion of our economy that has been shipped out and I am not willing to be a part of that,” he said.
The 2018 interview also offered a preview of El-Sayed’s broader progressive platform. He backed free daycare and universal health care supported by government funding, while arguing that Democrats needed to be more aggressive in pursuing their agenda.
“[U]nder my leadership the Democratic Party will certainly take a turn. … [W]e will be a lot more activist on the ground,” he said.
His past statements are drawing attention as he campaigns for the US Senate against Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman. At a debate Thursday, Rogers sought to portray El-Sayed as untrustworthy, attacking both his policy record and his representations about his professional background.
“Listen to this guy and what he’s trying to sell here today,” Rogers said. “You’re going to find out that this guy is not what he says he is. He is actually selling the best con I think I’ve ever seen.”
Rogers also accused El-Sayed of failing to adequately condemn terrorist groups, claiming that he receives money from individuals who openly support Hamas, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda.
“He gets money from people who support, openly, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda,” Rogers said.
El-Sayed’s past views on policing have also returned to the spotlight. His support for initiatives to reduce or redirect police funding preceded the national debate over the “defund the police” movement that emerged during the 2020 unrest following George Floyd’s death.
The immigration debate is unfolding against a broader shift in US migration figures. A recent report by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, found that both legal and illegal immigration had fallen sharply since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025.
