Ice Bridge Opens, Immigrants Facing Deportation, and 100-Year Ice Cream Contest

Thursday, January 29th, 2026

Good morning! Welcome to The Mitten, where we provide you a 5-minute rundown of all things Michigan every morning at 5 a.m., directly in your inbox!

Hudsonville Ice Cream is hosting a cash-prize competition for its 100-year anniversary celebration. See what the grand prize includes here, and read more in Around the Mitten!

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31,000 Immigrants Facing Deportation in Michigan

Immigrants from over 60 countries are facing deportation in Michigan with the Detroit Immigration Court’s caseload reaching a total of 31,071.

The two countries with the most immigrants in Michigan are Venezuela and Mexico, at 8,182 and 5,916, respectively.

The immigrants facing deportation include those who with green cards and those here illegally. You can see a map of countries with immigrant totals in Michigan here.

Traverse City Ranked as Top Food Destination

A new list from the popular food blog Eater ranked Traverse City in the Top 15 Food Destinations to Visit in 2026.

The list, according to Eater, ranked global destinations by looking for “outstanding restaurants, and also to people who ardently endorse them.”

Traverse City made the list for its variety of wines, fresh fruit, and arsenal of highly respected chefs and restauranters.

You can read the complete Eater guide to 2026 food destinations here.

International Ice Bridge in Drummond Island Opens

For a limited time, the international ice bridge connecting part of Drummond Island in the U.S. to St. Joseph Island in Canada is now open.

Volunteers with the Drummond Island Tourism Association mark the roughly ten-mile path every tenth-mile for those interested in taking the journey.

The ice bridge is currently 16 inches thick and can support foot and snowmobile traffic.

You can see a livestream of the ice bridge here.

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Around the Mitten

Kent County: Prosecutor Kent Becker announced charges were authorized against former Democrat Party Treasurer Traci Kornak for embezzlement of a vulnerable adult. (More)
Hudsonville: Hudsonville Ice Cream is celebrating its 100-year anniversary with a cash-prize competition to crown the ultimate ice cream fan. (More)
Detroit: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop following an aircraft emergency at Detroit Metro. (More)
Lansing: The lawsuit involving former MSU coach Mel Tucker was dismissed by Judge Wanda Stokes. (More)
Statewide: 31 cougar sightings were reported in the state in 2025, the highest mark since 1900. (More)
Oakland County: Michigan State Police were seen corralling a wandering donkey named Dolly along an icy roadway. (See Video)
Ypsilanti: Multiple parents of children at Ypsilanti District Schools were detained by Immigation Customs and Enforcement (ICE). (More)

Sports

The Red Wings signed 34-year-old Defenseman Ben Chiarot to a 3-year, $11.5 million extension. (More)
Michigan Football hired Air Force defensive coordinator Brian Knorr as a special teams assistant. (More)
Ann Arbor Pioneer star track athlete Natasza Dudek was named the 2025-26 Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. (More)

Michigan Enterprise

General Motors reported a 2025 net income of $2.7 billion, with $7.2 billion in special charges, largely resulting from EV’s. (See Report)
The 98-year-old Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts will now be named the Orsa Music Hall as part of a $20 million deal. (More)
Archer Daniels Midland will have to pay a $40 million civil penalty for misleading investors. (More)

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Founder & Editor of The Mitten — Joe S.