Detroit Police Chief Wants to Fire Officers for Doing Their Jobs

Lansing, MI – The Detroit Police Chief, Todd Bettison, has announced his intention to fire two police officers who worked with federal immigration enforcement. 

In one instance, a police officer was tracking down a felony warrant. When he stopped the accused individual, the officer discovered that the person with the felony warrant was an illegal immigrant and contacted Border Patrol. That officer is now suspended, and Chief Bettison plans to fire him. 

Mayor Mary Sheffield’s office had this to say:

 [...] this administration will reenforce (sic) the longstanding policy that the Detroit Police Department does not, in any way, engage in federal immigration enforcement. We will do our part, as a city, to make sure that members of our community, regardless of their immigration status, know their rights and feel safe in Detroit.

Apparently, that even includes “members of the community” with active felony warrants who came to the United States illegally.

“It’s unbelievable that police officers could be fired for helping to apprehend criminals,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “More than ever, public officials in Michigan need to support law enforcement. Instead, Mary Sheffield and Todd Bettison want to run them out of town.”