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Whitefish police say traffic stop, not local detention, led to Border Patrol involvement
Summary
A July 12 traffic stop escalated to a federal immigration agency response after a driver’s license check returned a warrant hit; city police say they detained the vehicle for traffic violations and notified federal authorities rather than detaining for immigration reasons.
A traffic stop in Whitefish on July 12 prompted community concerns after Border Patrol officers responded, city police and public commenters said at the City Council meeting July 21. Resident Zee told the council the episode looked like “a slippery slope towards eroding community trust and creating opportunities for discrimination and racial profiling.”
Chief Bridger of the Whitefish Police Department told the council the department’s records check of a driver’s license produced “a hit reference in immigration warrant,” and that officers contacted federal immigration officials. “We did not detain the person for immigration purposes. We detained that person, that vehicle and the driver for a traffic violation,” Bridger said. He added that Border Patrol arrived while the officer was finishing the traffic investigation and that the department referred immigration questions to the federal agency.
Bridger also reviewed department policy and recent state law language cited in the meeting, saying officers are permitted to verify immigration status when it arises during a lawful stop and are required to notify federal immigration agencies if warranted. He said supervisors were notified during the incident and the department has added procedures to bring additional scrutiny to such situations.
Councilors and staff answered questions about what a warrant means and how officers confirm them. One councilor noted that the vehicle had been speeding 17 mph over the limit, which was the basis for the traffic stop that led to the subsequent checks.
The incident was raised during public comment; the transcript and police comments show that the Whitefish Police Department distinguishes between detaining someone for a traffic offense and detaining for immigration enforcement, and that the latter was handled by the federal agents who responded.
The council did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting.
