Washington police don’t plan on immigration-related arrests

WASHINGTON — The Washington Police Department appeared to distance itself from federal immigration crackdowns this week, amid a nationwide push under newly elected President Donald Trump to arrest and deport immigrants charged with entering the country illegally.

The city’s move came days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the U.S. agency that enforces most federal immigration laws — said it had arrested 7,400 people nationwide over the course of about nine days. The flurry of federal arrests and handful of resulting deportations have faced criticism from some advocates who argue the moves ignore due process for people who allegedly violate immigration laws, and from prominent Democrats who claim it disproportionately targets communities that voted against the president in November.

In a memo shared on Facebook Feb. 3, Washington Police Chief Jim Lester said the municipal department’s officers “do not and will not stop individuals only to determine their residency status.” He said the statement was prompted by concerns from community members about the local government’s role in Trump’s policies.

“We are committed to ensuring that all individuals feel safe reporting crimes and engaging with local law enforcement,” the memo said. “As we prioritize public safety and trust, we will continue, as we always have, to cooperate with our state and federal partners in investigations, and cases involving wanted or violent individuals with active criminal arrest warrants.”

Lester added that officers sought a “consistent, fair, impartial and transparent” legal process for all community members, “regardless of their status.”

Other city officials praised the statement at a council meeting Tuesday night, including city council members Ken Schroeder and Ivan Rangel.

“I thought it was well written and well done, and it should make clear to the public where the city stands,” Schroeder said. Rangel added that the chief’s comments gave “A lot of folks that I know peace of mind.”

Washington County Sheriff Jared Schneider could not immediately be reached for comments Wednesday morning. Chief Deputy Shawn Ellingson said the county office had no standing policy on the matter, and said he wasn’t sure if it would release a statement on it in the near future.

From the public, the city department’s announcement got mixed reactions on Facebook, with some comments backing Lester’s sentiments while others complained it was too vague.

Dan Henderson, director of local equal rights advocacy group Washington for Justice, said he appreciated the memo, saying it was “a good start,” but left a little room for clarification.

“What I would like to hear from Chief Lester is that his department will protect the rights, the constitutional rights, of those immigrants who are, maybe, not documented but they’re law-abiding, contributing residents of our community,” Henderson said. “They deserve the same protection. They have fourth and fifth-amendment rights that need to be respected.”

While he acknowledged that entering the country without authorization violated federal laws, Henderson noted that doing so was a misdemeanor on the first offense, and said enforcing those laws was a federal responsibility, not a municipal one.

Henderson added that he blamed the broader system for most cases of illegal immigration, not the individuals involved.

“The process is gummed up so bad and the laws are so antiquated that there’s no clear pathway,” he said. “They have family here, they have jobs here, they have children here. So, in one sense, to call them criminal is really a mislabel … and even if they have broken the law, they still have constitutional rights.”

Another local nonprofit, Latinos for Washington, reposted Lester’s memo on Facebook along with a translation in Spanish, but representatives of the group did not immediately reply to requests for comments.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com