US cities increasingly compelled to police abuses by immigration agents

"Sheriff's deputies don't generally spend their time arresting anyone. They serve warrants, guard prisoners and keep court in order. Under other circumstances, Bilal's comments could be dismissed as a Democratic elected official throwing red meat at a blue audience. But she's not alone. Last year, municipal leaders in cities including Chicago, Portland and Charlotte made simple promises for their police not to cooperate with immigration enforcement, and to monitor the activities of ICE for civil remedies."

"State law enforcement is increasingly presenting itself as an answer to federal impunity for civil rights violations. Typically, if a federal officer commits an abusive crime, local leaders might expect a federal investigation to lead to charges and an arrest. But administration leaders have essentially said they will not prosecute agents for abuses, beginning with Donald Trump's exhortation for cops to do whatever the hell they want after sending national guard troops to Washington DC."

Rochelle Bilal warned ICE agents that local authorities would pursue them if they committed crimes in Philadelphia, signaling a new confrontational posture. Other mayors and municipal leaders have pledged noncooperation with immigration enforcement and committed to monitoring ICE activities for civil remedies. Boston ordered regular FOIA requests to track DHS arrests, while Minneapolis's mayor publicly rebuked ICE. State and local police are positioning themselves as a corrective to perceived federal impunity for civil-rights violations. Expectations that federal investigations would prosecute abusive federal officers have eroded amid federal leadership signaling reluctance to pursue such prosecutions.

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