ACLU-D.C. Responds to D.C. Police Chief’s New Order on Cooperation with ICE

The following can be attributed to Monica Hopkins, Executive Director at the ACLU-D.C.

The D.C. Police Chief’s new order inviting collaboration with ICE is dangerous and unnecessary. Immigration enforcement is not the role of local police—and when law enforcement aligns itself with ICE, it fosters fear among D.C. residents, regardless of citizenship status. Our police should serve the people of D.C., not ICE’s deportation machine.

As the federal government scales up Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, including mass deportations, we see how local law enforcement face pressure to participate. Federal courts across the country have found both ICE and local agencies liable for unconstitutional detentions under ICE detainers. Police departments that choose to carry out the federal government’s business risk losing the trust they need to keep communities safe.

Community policing depends on trust—and that trust disappears when people fear that reporting a crime could lead to deportation, imprisonment, or racial profiling.

We urge every D.C. resident to know their rights:

• You have the right to remain silent— verbally invoke this right.
• Ask: “Am I free to leave?” and “Am I under arrest?”
• If police stop you, they might frisk you for weapons. You do not have to consent to any further search if there is no warrant.
• If stopped by D.C. police, you have the right to an attorney. If stopped by ICE, you have the right to consult with an attorney and can request a list of free or low-cost legal help.
• It can be dangerous for people to argue about police misconduct in the street, especially for Black and brown people. Keep yourself safe and file a complaint later.