Madison police update immigration policy amid Trump turmoil
By Gina Heeb | Jan. 30, 2017Following a wave of contentious executive orders signed in Washington late last week calling for strict immigration law at both the federal and local level, Madison Police Department Chief Michael Koval announced on Monday two policy changes to how officers will approach immigration enforcement. The changes, including a new standard operating procedure and an updated code of conduct, say MPD will only probe immigration status in cases of serious crimes directly related to public safety, rather than for deportation purposes under Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal agency. “It is my hope that these changes will further affirm our commitment to providing qualitative services to ALL of our residents while also providing some measure of comfort that MPD will not be engaging in/with ICE in matters that are only concentrated on deportation,” Koval said in a blog post announcing the policy changes. Under the new standard operating procedure, MPD will only cooperate with ICE in immigration-related investigation or detainment when an individual is engaged in, or reasonably suspected of, terrorism or espionage, participating in a criminal street gang, arrested for any violent felony or is a previously deported felon.
