Connecticut Governor Sends Immigrant Enforcement Recommendations To Police Chiefs, School Superintendents

HARTFORD, CT — In response to a recent executive order by President Donald Trump calling for aggressive enforcement of immigration laws, Gov. Dannel Malloy and several agency commissioners have sent recommendations to every school superintendent and police chief in the state, outlining suggested protocols to help these jurisdictions inform local decision making and communication efforts with families in their respective communities.

The executive order paves the way for a potentially massive expansion of the number of immigrants detained and/or deported by the government.

“Putting all opinions about this presidential executive order aside, its enforcement is going to have a local impact, especially given the constrained resources and financial impact this will have on state and municipal budgets, which we already know are stretched to their limits, in addition to giving rise to serious concerns in affected communities,” Malloy said in a written statement. “Above all, we are obligated to protect the rights afforded to all our residents and ensure that students attend safe, welcoming schools. The best approach for local communities is to have a plan in place so that everyone in our state, including young students, are supported respectfully and fairly under the laws of our state and our nation.”

A pair of letters were sent: one signed by Malloy, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Dora Schriro and Department of Correction Commissioner Scott Semple; and the other over the names of Malloy and State Department of Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell.

The recommendations to police chiefs included:

• Local law enforcement should not take action that is solely to enforce federal immigration law. The federal government cannot mandate states to investigate and enforce actions that have no nexus to the enforcement of Connecticut law or local ordinances.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests are requests, they are not warrants or orders and this should only be honored as set forth in Connecticut law, unless accompanied by a judicial warrant.
• Law enforcement should not provide access to individuals who are in law enforcement custody for purposes of questioning by ICE and any such request, as noted above, should be referred up the chain of command for evaluation.

The statement from the governor conceded, "Ultimately, local law enforcement agencies determine whether, and to what extent within the parameters of the Connecticut Trust Act, they assist the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) federal agency."

At least one Connecticut police chief said his department will continue to assist federal authorities, as has always been done in the past.

"The policy of this department is we will cooperate fully with ICE, even though, according to this letter we don't have to," Enfield Police Chief Carl Sferrazza said.

Referencing the recommendation to not provide access to individuals in law enforcement custody to ICE agents, Sferrazza said, "If federal law enforcement wants to come talk to someone, we will make them accessible. We're not going to turn the federal government away."

The memo to school superintendents stated:

• If an ICE agent approaches a school asking for student information or for access to a student, that agent should be referred to the superintendent’s office or to the office of an appropriate administrator designated by the superintendent.

Patch reached out to several area superintendents for comment, but none had yet responded by publication time.

File photo: Wikimedia Commons