Danbury Opens Police Officer Applications To DACA Recipients, Green Card Holders

DANBURY, CT — Lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients will be allowed to apply to become Danbury police officers under an ordinance approved by the City Council Tuesday night.

The council approved the change in an 18-2 vote.

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Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour urged the council to approve the measure, saying Connecticut's Police Officer Standards and Training Council removed its U.S. citizenship requirement in 2020 for lawful permanent residents and expanded eligibility to DACA recipients in 2025.

He said at least 30 state or municipal police agencies in Connecticut already allow lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply.

Ridenhour stressed that hiring standards would not change. Applicants would still undergo the department's screening process, including a polygraph, psychological exam, medical and drug screening and a background check.

"This is not asking you to lower our hiring standards," Ridenhour told the council. "This is simply asking you to align our hiring eligibility with the eligibility requirements set forth by our governing body," according to the meeting transcript.

The vote followed several days of increased federal immigration enforcement in Danbury and prompted significant public discussion during Tuesday's meeting. Some residents supported expanding eligibility, while others raised concerns about vetting, firearm regulations and the temporary nature of DACA status.

State Rep. Farley Santos, who immigrated to the United States as a child, told council members that he once considered becoming a police officer but was told he could not because he was undocumented. He urged the council to approve the change, pointing to his niece, a DACA recipient who came to the United States at age 3.

"Danbury expanded opportunity for qualified people who love this city and want to serve it in one of the hardest and most important jobs there is," Santos wrote in a Facebook post following the meeting.

Councilman Joe Britton, who supported the ordinance, said the vote sent a message that immigrants are welcome in Danbury while keeping hiring standards intact.

"If you're qualified and willing to raise your hand to serve Danbury, you deserve that opportunity," Britton wrote after the vote.