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Before the raids that began Sunday in 10 major US cities, many worry about the cooperation of local police forces with ICE. Friday, the Washington police expressed their position.
BC police want to maintain trust with immigrant communities in the city and inform them in their own language.
Lawyers and immigration activists from across the country are preparing for the impending raids on US immigration and customs police, which would begin this Sunday.
The New York Times report reiterated the concern of the undocumented community, especially residents of the 10 US cities who would be the focus of attacks, including Baltimore.
One of the main questions is how far local police forces will cooperate with ICE to detain undocumented immigrants. On Friday, the Washington police released a video outlining his position – in eight languages.
MPD officers are prohibited from asking questions about the status of resident / immigration. DC's immigration community is a vital part of our city, which we will continue to serve.
More translations: https://t.co/RQWoTY4b12
#DCPolice #How to help #CommunityFirst pic.twitter.com/7eJfSS6T6q– DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 12, 2019
"Our immigrant community is a vital part of the social fabric of our city … The MPD has a long-standing policy that prohibits police from asking questions about citizenship or residency status to determine whether a person is undocumented, "police said in a statement.
In the video, officers clearly and repeatedly declare that the police force does not enforce federal immigration laws. Speaking Arabic, Amharic, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Vietnamese, French and Spanish, the officers emphasized the department's desire to maintain trust with the immigrant community of the D.C.
According to the statement, the Washington Police Department is in violation of the following policy:
- Ask anyone about residency or immigration status, unless the police officer is investigating a crime for which immigration status is relevant. (for example, traffic or immigrant accommodation)
- Inquire any database only for the purpose of obtaining information on the immigration status of a person
The police encouraged all members of the community – regardless of their immigrant status – to report crimes to help make D.C. "a safe place to live, work and play".
A complete list of videos and copies of the Police Department Police Department's mission statement in the eight languages is available on its website.
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