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Manchester police chief says department will not seek deputization for immigration enforcement, cites staffing and funding limits
Summary
Police chief told aldermen the department will not pursue deputization to enforce immigration law, citing about 23 vacancies and no dedicated funding; the chief described existing procedures for ICE detainers, fingerprinting and cooperation with federal officials.
Manchester’s police chief told aldermen the city department will not seek deputization to enforce federal immigration laws, citing staffing shortages and a lack of program funding.
When asked whether the department would request deputization to assist federal immigration officials, the chief said no. “We currently have 23 vacancies. We have a hard time getting to all the calls for service that we currently have,” the chief said. “There’s no funding for that program. It just didn’t seem like the best idea for our department.”
The chief described existing cooperation with federal authorities: the department responds when federal officials notify them and has in the past assisted federal agents, particularly for dangerous fugitive situations that require backup. On routine arrests, the chief said police fingerprint everyone booked; fingerprint matches trigger appropriate notifications. “If they do have an ICE detainer, we will hold them, call ICE, and wait for them to come pick them up,” the chief said. The chief added that notifying consulates for foreign nationals is an established practice and that such detainers are “extremely rare.”
Aldermen pressed for detail on frequency and recordkeeping. One alderman asked, “How many do you think you’ve gotten in one year? 2, 3, 5?” another suggested the number was “maybe one.” The chief and other officials repeatedly described such detainers as uncommon.
The chief also said the department follows nationally recognized law-enforcement policies and standards and noted the department’s long-standing accreditation. (Transcript referenced accreditation; the nationally accepted accreditation is the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, CALEA.)
Why it matters The exchange comes amid public concern about federal actions affecting residents and city budgets and clarifies the limits of local authority on immigration enforcement. The chief’s statements mark the department’s operational stance: cooperate when contacted by federal agents but not to proactively deputize to enforce immigration law without funding and sufficient staffing.
What was not decided No policy change was adopted; aldermen asked questions and received answers. The chief’s comments were descriptive of current practice rather than a board directive.
