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Residents urge Middletown to strengthen Trust Act protections; commission sends proposal for legal review
Summary
Residents and local advocates called on the Middletown Public Safety Commission on Aug. 18 to require federal immigration agents to present judicial warrants and identify themselves; Chief Steve Costa said the department will follow any lawful ordinance but cannot compel federal agents to unmask. The commission voted to send the proposed resolution to the city's general counsel for review.
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Dozens of residents told the Middletown Public Safety Commission on Aug. 18 that the city should bolster protections in the Connecticut Trust Act by requiring federal immigration agents to present a judicial warrant, identify themselves and remove face coverings when Middletown Police are asked to assist.
"If the Middletown Police Department is called upon to aid an unlawfully detained individual, the Middletown Police officers will demand from ICE agents or immigration agents documentation of a judicial warrant signed by a judge, identification of all ICE officers involved, and they'll require the ICE agents to remove face masks that obscures their identity," a public commenter said, urging the council to adopt a local ordinance to that effect.
Speakers at the public-hearing portion described videos and reported incidents in which unmarked vehicles and masked agents were involved. Jeanne Glamino, a Middletown resident, told commissioners she supports strengthening the law because "ICE agents have no training that we're aware of, no high standards...they wear masks, they drive unmarked cars, and they do not identify themselves." Several other residents — including Dr. Michael Goode and Steve Machuga — echoed that call and said clearer identification would protect residents and give the public a way to report untoward conduct.
Chief Steve Costa told the commission the existing Connecticut Trust Act limits municipal enforcement of federal immigration law and that federal authorities ordinarily provide warrants when asked. "I can ask somebody to unmask. I can't — I don't have the authority to tell them to unmask in my role as chief of police," he said, adding that the department's obligation is to keep the community safe while staying within the scope of state and federal law.
After public comment and a round of commissioner questions about legal limits and examples from other cities, Councilmember Sweeney moved to transmit former Councilman McKeon's proposed resolution to the city's general counsel for legal guidance; the motion was seconded and the commission approved sending the proposal to counsel for review.
What it means: The commission's vote does not adopt new local restrictions; it sends language for legal analysis so the council can determine what a city ordinance could require without conflicting with state or federal law. Chief Costa said the department will follow any ordinance adopted within his lawful authority and that officer safety remains a priority.
Next steps: The commission referred the proposed resolution to the city's legal counsel; any ordinance would return to the council or commission for additional consideration and potential adoption following counsel's review.
Quotes and attribution in this story come from speakers at the Aug. 18 public hearing and the commission meeting, as recorded in the meeting transcript.
