BELOIT — Amid growing national concerns about immigration enforcement, the Beloit Police Department is reassuring the community that it will not partner with federal officials on mass deportations or routinely inquire about immigration status.
This comes as the federal government under the incoming Trump administration has said it will increase immigration enforcement and deportations.
In a social media post Thursday signed by Chief Andre Sayles, the department emphasized its commitment to community policing and ensuring all residents have access to services, regardless of immigration status. The announcement addresses community concerns about local police involvement in federal immigration enforcement, particularly in light of increased federal efforts.
“An individual’s immigration status is irrelevant to our mission,” the department stated.
The Beloit Police Department clarified its policy regarding cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating it will only cooperate in specific circumstances:
- When an individual is engaged in or suspected of terrorism or espionage;
- When an individual is reasonably suspected of being involved in a criminal street gang;
- When an individual is arrested for any violent felony;
- When an individual is a previously deported felon and there is an independent basis for detaining or arresting them.
The department explicitly stated it will not participate in Section 287(g) agreements, which deputize local law enforcement to perform certain immigration enforcement functions. Officials stated that such agreements are “not aligned with our community policing philosophy.”
The department stressed that individuals’ rights to file police reports or access police services are not contingent on their citizenship or immigration status. Officers will not routinely ask individuals about their immigration status or request immigration documents, such as passports or green cards, unless voluntarily presented as identification.
The department’s statement aims to address community fears and build trust, particularly within immigrant communities, in a climate of heightened federal immigration enforcement.
