WASHINGTON, D.C. — This morning President Trump, in an appearance before the Major Cities Chiefs Association, spoke about empowering local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law.
Members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force are available for comment. In addition, the following is a statement by Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum:
“Smart law enforcement means gaining and keeping the trust of everyone in the community. Local police and sheriff’s officers build this trust over months and years. Yes, there are ways for local law enforcement to work with federal authorities, but they cannot simply take over the federal responsibility for immigration enforcement.
“One sure way to discourage crime victims and witnesses from coming forward would be to deputize local law enforcement to carry out immigration enforcement. Local chiefs have said such approaches ‘can allow criminal activities to flourish.’ That is not the law-and-order response we need.”