Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said that the department's immigration enforcement and the way officers interact with undocumented persons won't be changing once Donald Trump takes office in January.
After numerous interview requests following the election, Magnus issued the following statement Wednesday:
The Tucson Police Department has worked very hard over a period of years to develop and insure a relationship of trust and partnership with our large immigrant community. The very fabric of our city is interwoven with residents from diverse backgrounds, representing many races and ethnicities, that come from a wide range of places. Tucsonans pride themselves on kindness and inclusiveness.
It is important our residents understand that the policies and practices put in place over the past decade to direct and clarify how our officers interact with undocumented persons and handle immigration enforcement issues are not changing. The Tucson Police Department will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners in a manner consistent with federal and state laws regulating immigration and protecting the civil rights, privileges and immunities of all persons. This means we make notifications associated with certain contacts and arrests when the individuals involved are a direct threat to public safety, are wanted for serious crimes, or have federal arrest warrants.
The Tucson Police Department recognizes that the enforcement of state and federal laws related to immigration is a complex effort and that the need for community trust and cooperation is an essential component of policing and public safety. Entangling local policing with additional immigration enforcement responsibilities would seriously compromise our ability maintain the trust and support of our diverse community. If any of our residents believe that by reporting a crime, seeking assistance, or working with the police to make their neighborhoods safer will cause them to be unconstitutionally detained for an extended time or deported, our community becomes less secure. We will not compromise our commitment to community policing and public safety by taking on immigration enforcement responsibilities that appropriately rest with federal authorities.
