General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsProposed Legislation Would Prohibit Immigration Officials From Posing as Police
Proposed Legislation Would Prohibit Immigration Officials From Posing as Police.
Under the bill, officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection are barred from wearing clothing that bears the word police. State Rep. Mike Thompson, who co-authored the bill with Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-New York, said the goal of the legislation is to ease mistrust of local police among immigrant families.
When immigrant communities see police on an ICE individuals uniform it creates problems. It puts people at risk, Thompson told KQED. If theres an immigrant who is a victim of a crime, theyre reluctant to report it. If the police are trying to question an immigrant thats a witness to a crime, theyre reluctant to get involved.
According to the National Immigrant Justice Center, immigration enforcement will often introduce themselves as police officers even though they are not legally considered to be so. The resulting confusion can be detrimental to public safety, Thompson argued.
When people are unsure of whether a police officer is actually an immigration official, it sours the relationship between local law enforcement and the communities theyre supposed to serve, he said. By prohibiting ICE agents and other officials from wearing uniforms that say police, the trust between police officers and community members can be rebuilt.
.
https://www.kqed.org/news/12044352/proposed-legislation-would-prohibit-immigration-officials-from-posing-as-police

SunSeeker
(56,040 posts)jmowreader
(52,461 posts)We need one that requires ICE officers to not masquerade as civilians.
Already in Trump's Reign of Terror we've seen criminals claim they're ICE while committing their crimes. And let's be honest here: eventually a Good Samaritan is going to decide an ICE officer is actually a kidnapper or rapist and "save the day" with his pistol. "Officer, I saw three people wearing civilian clothes shoving a woman into the back seat of an SUV so I shot them all" is going to happen - especially since ICE officers in civilian clothes aren't necessarily carrying ICE identification.
Zackzzzz
(78 posts)How has this been allowed to happen in the first place.
If I can't wear clothing that bears the word police, why should they?
Or do the police even care?
UpInArms
(52,974 posts)So what they are doing is illegal