The Prince William County Police Department activated its new policy regarding illegal immigration enforcement today.
As part of the new policy, police officers will inquire into the citizenship or immigration status of persons who are lawfully detained for a violation of state or local law if probable cause exists to believe that person is in violation of federal immigration law.
If such a violation exists, police officers will coordinate with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement branch concerning that individual.
There are three key points to the policy, according to a news release from the department.
1. Officers will focus on criminal aliens – persons who are in the United States illegally and who commit crimes that would make them eligible for deportation.
2. Police officers will protect crime victims and cooperative witnesses – regardless of their immigration status.
3. Racial profiling is expressly prohibited. Police officers will not detain or arrest individuals based on their national origin, race, religion or creed. In addition to being morally wrong, racial profiling is a violation of federal law as well as existing Police Department policy.
Immigration Enforcement
All sworn members of the Police Department, as well as relevant civilian personnel, received comprehensive training regarding the new policy, and how to implement it in a fair, lawful, and reasonable manner. Topics covered during training included legal instruction, bias reduction/racial profiling, identification of false documentation, and procedural response to illegal aliens. Representatives from the County Attorney’s office, ICE, and the Police Department’s staff served as instructors.
More information regarding the Police Department’s immigration enforcement efforts can be found on the web site at https://www.pwcgov.org/police.
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