Protect Community Trust by Barring ICE Alumni from Local Law Enforcement

Dear Representative, I am writing to request that you introduce or support legislation modeled on California’s approach that restricts former federal immigration enforcement officers from serving as local or state law enforcement. California recognized a structural conflict between immigration enforcement and community policing. Officers whose prior roles centered on civil immigration enforcement operate under different legal authorities, training standards, and mission objectives than local peace officers. Allowing seamless transition into local policing undermines public trust, chills cooperation from immigrant communities, and blurs the line between local law enforcement and federal immigration operations. Our state should adopt legislation that: - Prohibits former ICE or federal immigration enforcement officers from serving as local or state peace officers, or - At minimum, imposes a substantial cooling-off period with enhanced background review, retraining, and public disclosure requirements. Community safety depends on trust. When residents fear that contact with local police could expose them or their families to immigration enforcement, crimes go unreported and public safety deteriorates. California acted to draw a clear boundary. Our state should do the same. This is not an anti-law-enforcement position. It is a pro-accountability, pro-clarity, and pro-community-safety position. Local police should answer to local communities and operate free from the legacy and incentives of federal immigration enforcement. I expect my representatives to take this issue seriously and to pursue legislation that protects the integrity of local policing in our state. Sincerely, A concerned citizen