In a recent statement responding to ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) activity in Southfield, McDonald warned of “fear and uncertainty” and pledged that allegations of lawlessness – “including by federal officers” – would be investigated.

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Her Instagram post about ICE came about a week before Democrats faced widespread criticism at President Trump’s State of the Union Address, where many remained seated after he asked lawmakers to stand if they agreed that the government’s primary duty is to protect American citizens rather than illegal aliens.

When law and order comes with fine print.

McDonald’s strategy of targeting ICE – the very agency arresting criminal illegal aliens so they can be deported – seems like an odd approach for a law-and-order candidate whose campaign website vows to go after “violent criminals, drug traffickers, sexual abusers, and serious repeat offenders.” Apparently, that promise now comes with fine print and an asterisk.

Her stance on ICE mirrors the hostility we’ve seen from current Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel. Recently, Nessel unveiled what she calls an “Immigration Action Reporting Form” – an online tool that encourages residents to log encounters with federal immigration authorities, including ICE. Framed by her office as a civil-rights initiative targeting “misconduct,” the initiative encourages Michiganders to submit photos, videos, and written accounts of federal enforcement activity they believe may be improper. Critics have dubbed it a “snitch line.”

Federal overreach or campaign messaging?

McDonald frames her priorities on her website as defending constitutional rights and standing up to Washington overreach. She’s backed by the Michigan AFL-CIO and touts priorities like environmental protection and fairness in the justice system.

Campaign cash under scrutiny.

Questionable policy positions aren’t the only scrutiny following McDonald’s campaign. Information has also surfaced about utility-linked donations to McDonald’s campaign and potential conflicts of interest. Now she’s staking out a progressive anti-ICE lane that puts her squarely at odds with federal immigration enforcement and the law itself.

Chosen by delegates, not voters.

Michigan voters won’t get the first say on whether McDonald’s message sells or not because attorney general candidates aren’t selected by voters in a traditional primary. Instead, each party’s nominee is chosen by partisan delegates at its state convention. Democrats will make their pick in April at Huntington Place in Detroit, where Dana Nessel’s would-be successor will be decided. McDonald is competing against two other candidates for the nomination: Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit and public defender William Noakes.