Focus Point
Share questions. Get more information. Get involved.
Biden Administration’s Updated Immigration Enforcement Priorities Note: this resource serves as an update to the LEITF’s previous publication comparing the Obama, Trump, and Biden administration immigration enforcement priorities. On September 30, 2021, DHS released Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law, new immigration enforcement priorities that emphasize the use of prosecutorial discretion to seek […]
Oct 27WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Homeland Security’s updated immigration enforcement priorities, announced Thursday, continue to target national security and public safety threats. In addition, the priorities reaffirm that unauthorized status alone should not be cause for enforcement actions. The following are quotes from members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF): Chief Art Acevedo, Miami; […]
Oct 01By ret. Chief Ramon Batista (LEITF Senior Advisor) With the departure of American forces from Afghanistan and the ensuing arrival of evacuees from that country to ours, I can’t help but think about the role that American policing will play in their lives. I look to the future and think about the impact these new […]
Sep 28WASHINGTON, D.C. — Law enforcement leaders across the country have joined a growing group of bipartisan lawmakers, faith leaders, and communities nationwide voicing their commitment to welcoming Afghan refugees. Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and mounting threats from the Taliban, thousands of Afghan allies and their families are seeking safety abroad, including in the […]
Sep 01When immigrants feel safe in their communities, we all benefit. To ensure public safety, it is critical for law enforcement officers to build effective relationships with members of their respective communities – regardless of background or immigration status. To learn more about how police departments can build trust with immigrant communities, the LEITF reached out […]
Sep 01Backgrounder: Jurisdictions Permitting LPR Hiring To download a PDF version, click here. Police departments and sheriff’s offices across the United States continue to struggle to find qualified candidates to serve as officers. While most jurisdictions require that law enforcement officer candidates be U.S. citizens, a growing number have removed citizenship as a requirement for candidates, […]
Aug 17From paying taxes to filling labor needs to cooperating with local law enforcement, immigrant communities are crucial to the health and safety of American communities. To ensure that these vital individuals can continue to make important contributions to our communities, we must look to form strong relationships between immigrant communities and law enforcement based on […]
Jul 30WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of a pending Senate confirmation hearing, more than 65 law enforcement leaders have signed a letter urging the swift confirmation of Tucson, Arizona, Police Chief Chris Magnus as Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Magnus is a longtime member of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force. The letter highlights his dedication to public safety while […]
Jul 21July 21, 2021 Dear Members of the Senate, President Joe Biden has nominated Chief Chris Magnus (Tucson, AZ) to lead Customs and Border Protection (CBP). A longtime member of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF), Chief Magnus is committed to supporting policies that promote law enforcement’s ability to protect all members of their communities, […]
Jul 21Following U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen’s decision Friday that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is unlawful, which blocked new applications, the following are quotes from local police chiefs who are members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force. For additional context on the decision, please see this explainer from the National Immigration Forum. […]
Jul 20WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of a Senate confirmation hearing today, more than 60 law enforcement leaders have signed a letter urging the swift confirmation of Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez as director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sheriff Gonzalez, a Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force co-chair, was nominated to lead the immigration enforcement […]
Jul 20July 13, 2021 Dear Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, President Joe Biden has nominated Sheriff Ed Gonzalez of Harris County, TX to serve as the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A co-chair of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF), Sheriff Gonzalez is a proven leader on issues […]
Jul 15In this episode of Only in America, Ali Noorani spoke with Chief Mike Brown of Salt Lake City, Utah to discuss the intersection of immigration and law enforcement, and how immigrant members of the Salt Lake City community have been vital to local law enforcement through their Explorers Program. Chief Brown, who has been chief […]
Jun 30LEITF Members Support the Nomination of John Tien for DHS Deputy Secretary May 24, 2021 As law enforcement leaders and members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, we are writing to support the confirmation of John Tien for the position of Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Deputy Secretary role […]
Jun 21WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new policy that will improve access to work permits and deferred action for immigrant crime victims with pending U visa cases. Currently, U visa petitioners wait about five years before having their U visas adjudicated, but can receive deferred action and work authorization while their U visa petitions […]
Jun 17Law Enforcement Voices at the Border According to data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), over 178,000 immigrants were stopped trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in April. This 21-year high in monthly apprehensions was largely comprised of single adults, who are rapidly expelled under the pandemic-era Title 42 rule. Recidivism rates are also high, […]
May 28The Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force recently published a resource comparing the enforcement priorities of the past two administrations with the interim priorities of the Biden administration. To read the full paper, click here. Enforcement priorities describe how federal immigration enforcement agencies use their resources to arrest and/or remove non-citizens. Through the Obama, Trump, and […]
Apr 30Law Enforcement Officials Respond to Gonzalez Nomination WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to an announcement that President Joe Biden will nominate Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force co-chair and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the following is a statement from fellow LEITF co-chairs Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo; Fresno […]
Apr 27For PDF version, click here. What is the Byrne-JAG Program? The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (“Byrne-JAG”) is a formula grant program that provides federal criminal justice funding to law enforcement agencies across the United States. Byrne-JAG provides states, territories, tribes, local governments, and governmental agencies with nearly $250 million of annual […]
Apr 27For a PDF version, click here. Congress first acknowledged the precarious position of immigrant victims of crime in 1994 with the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The bill specifically focused on victims of domestic abuse, who were often forced to choose between reporting the crime to law enforcement—risking loss of possible legal […]
Apr 27For a PDF version, click here. 10/27/21 update: On September 30, DHS released Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law, new immigration enforcement priorities that emphasize the use of prosecutorial discretion to seek targeted enforcement. For updated information on these priorities from the Biden administration, please click here. Introduction Over the past decade, the […]
Apr 22Law Enforcement Officials Respond to Magnus Nomination WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden will nominate Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force member and Tucson, Arizona, Police Chief Chris Magnus to lead Customs and Border Protection (CBP), according to the White House. In testimony before a U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittee in December 2018, Magnus stressed the importance of […]
Apr 12In light of humanitarian crisis at the Southern border – and particularly the recent increase in unaccompanied migrant children seeking asylum at the border – the White House provided a briefing for members of the National Immigration Forum’s Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF) and Council on National Security and Immigration (CNSI) on Monday, March […]
Mar 31Q and A with Chief Carmen Best (Ret.), Seattle Police Department, LEITF Senior Advisor How did you first come to be involved in the LEITF? Several years ago, I was serving as Deputy Chief of the Seattle Police Department. Kathleen O’Toole, our Chief at the time, had tasked me with building and strengthening relationships between […]
Feb 26The Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act On December 31, 2020, the Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act (MPURA), S.2174, was signed into law. This legislation is one of the only bipartisan efforts on immigration to become law in a long time. It was introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and co-sponsored by then-Senator Kamala […]
Jan 28Letter Supporting Alejandro Mayorkas for DHS Secretary As law enforcement leaders, we are writing to support the confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas for the position of Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mayorkas has a wealth of valuable experience in DHS leadership roles and has previously been confirmed three times by the U.S. Senate, […]
Jan 15LEITF Members Express Support for Mayorkas DHS Nomination President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mayorkas served as director of USCIS under President Barack Obama and was instrumental in implementing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He later became the deputy DHS secretary, a role […]
Dec 21The LEITF and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) have put together a resource inventory of promising practices and programs for immigrant and refugee outreach. The list of programs includes brief summaries and contact information for agency personnel who can provide further details about the programs. The programs have been organized by the following topics: […]
Dec 08WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of Election Day, the following is a statement by leaders of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force: “In this contentious year and election season, we respect and support people’s right to peaceful protest. We will not stand for violence or intimidation, on the part of anyone. We are committed to protecting […]
Nov 02Why We Need to Make It Easier for DACA Recipients to Serve in Law Enforcement LEITF member Andrew Smith is Chief of Police of the Green Bay (WI) Police Department. The Green Bay Police Department first became involved in the national conversation around the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in late 2018. At […]
Oct 29Chris Blue is the police chief of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Trump administration’s latest changes to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) only underscore what we already know: Congress should act to protect tens of thousands of North Carolina Dreamers — our neighbors — from deportation. The administration announced that it will not accept […]
Sep 18Zoraida Arias is the U-Visa/T-Visa Program Manager for the King County (WA) Sheriff’s Office. This is a newly created position under the leadership of LEITF member Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht, and Zoraida has been instrumental in helping the KCSO expand its work to assist vulnerable populations. Zoraida has used her extensive experience working with both immigrant […]
Aug 19WASHINGTON, D.C. — Law enforcement leaders are urging Congress to pass a permanent legislative solution for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients following today’s United States Supreme Court ruling that the Trump administration did not provide an adequate justification for ending DACA, allowing it to remain in place. The ruling comes after the Trump […]
Jun 18The Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) collaborated to produce a new report: Building Trust with Immigrant Communities: Best Practices for Law Enforcement Agencies in Smaller Cities and Towns. This report highlights low-cost, innovative strategies that have proven effective in developing relationships with immigrant communities. Fourteen LEITF police […]
May 18Below is a list of resources we hope will be helpful as you continue to work with your immigrant communities. The list includes links to general info on COVID-19 in multiple languages, resources on immigration enforcement as it relates to COVID-19 and health care facilities, information on the relief packages and financial concerns relating to […]
Apr 10WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 80 local law enforcement leaders sent a letter to members of Congress today in support of legislation that would expedite the citizenship process for family members of fallen public safety officers. The Kerrie Orozco First Responders Family Support Act would allow a surviving spouse, child or parent of a U.S. citizen […]
Dec 02December 2, 2019 Dear Member of Congress: We write in support of the Kerrie Orozco First Responders Family Support Act (H.R. 2378), a bill that would help the families of public safety officers who die in the line of duty. A very similar bill (H.R. 6580) passed the House of Representatives in September 2018 but […]
Dec 02WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 50 local law enforcement leaders have posted an open letter to immigrant communities underscoring their commitment to serving all community members. In the letter, also posted in Spanish, signatories highlight the importance of community trust in maintaining public safety, and the importance of a strong relationship between law enforcement and immigrant […]
Aug 29Dear Immigrant Communities: As members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF), we want to assure you and communities across the country that local law enforcement serves to keep everyone safe. Following the tragic Aug. 3 shooting in El Paso, Texas, and raids the following week in Mississippi, we know that many immigrants in […]
Aug 29WASHINGTON, D.C. — Law enforcement leaders sent a letter today to the president, vice president and Homeland Security Secretary, urging better conditions for migrant children in detention. The 42 Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force members who signed the letter call on the administration to “minimize the detention of children” and “invest in the trained personnel and […]
Aug 14Dear President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Acting Secretary McAleenan: As law enforcement leaders dedicated to preserving the safety and security of our communities, we write to express our concern about the reports of possible unacceptable conditions for children in the custody of the federal government. We are members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task […]
Aug 14News Articles Featuring LEITF Members The Des Moines Register: Opinion: A solution from Congress for Dreamers would help law enforcement in Iowa and beyond Op-ed by Chief Michael Tupper (Marshalltown, IA), August 1, 2021 Iowa Public Radio: Iowa Law Enforcement State Their Support For DACA Features Chief Michael Tupper (Marshalltown, IA) and Ret. Director of […]
Aug 12FACT SHEET: Warrant Service Officer (WSO) Program What is the WSO program? U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the launch of the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program on May 6, 2019. ICE called the WSO program “a new collaborative program intended for local law-enforcement that wish to honor immigration detainers but are prohibited […]
Jun 04On February 14, 2019, 15 members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force met with DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in Washington, DC. Task Force members in attendance included Chiefs and Sheriffs from across the country. During the meeting, Task Force members and Secretary Nielsen discussed a number of topics at the intersection of federal immigration […]
Feb 15Dear President Trump and Members of Congress: As law enforcement leaders who support commonsense immigration reforms consistent with public safety, we write to express our deep concern with the partial shutdown of the federal government. State and local law enforcement work constructively with federal law enforcement to combat drug trafficking, gangs, organized crime, and other […]
Jan 22Chief Chris Magnus (Tucson, AZ) and Chief Art Acevedo (Houston, TX) provided testimonies to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration on December 12, 2018 for a hearing entitled “Narcos: Transnational Cartels and Border Security.” See below for their written testimonies. Chief Chris Magnus (Tucson, AZ) Chairman Cornyn, Ranking […]
Dec 19WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sixty-seven local law enforcement leaders sent a letter to Senate leadership today voicing support for a bill that would help the families of first responders who die in the line of duty. The Kerrie Orozco Act, which passed the House in September, would permit a surviving spouse, child or parent of a U.S. […]
Dec 10The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Charles SchumerMinority LeaderUnited States SenateWashington, D.C. 20510 Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer: We write in support of the Kerrie Orozco First Responders Family Support Act (H.R. 6580), a bill that would help the families of first responders who die in the […]
Dec 10Deputy Chief Chad Kasmar (Tucson, AZ) Tucson sits just over an hour north of the Nogales, Sonora, border and we serve a diverse population of more than 535,000. On Sept. 18 and 19, 2018, I was invited to attend a Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF) trip, in conjunction with Bibles, Badges, and Business for […]
Sep 20INTRODUCTION While immigrants are part of the communities we serve, they are also fellow officers and colleagues working alongside us. We decided to publish these profiles of immigrants working with us to protect our communities and promote public safety to highlight some of the men and women on whom we rely to help America be […]
Jun 29Speaker Paul Ryan United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Majority Leader Mitch McConnell United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Minority Leader Charles Schumer United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader […]
Jun 27FACT SHEET: Immigrants and Crime Introduction The issue of public safety and immigration is of keen interest to law enforcement officials. Recent public discourse has raised questions: Are immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants, more prone to commit crime? Will public safety will be improved through tougher immigration enforcement? This brief provides an overview of crimes […]
Jun 26Click here for a recording of today’s press call WASHINGTON, D.C. — Law enforcement leaders expressed grave concerns about children who remain separated from their parents during a press call today. Following President Trump’s executive order on Wednesday, police chiefs called for a plan to reunite children with their families and objected to the potential […]
Jun 21February 15, 2018 Dear Senator: As law enforcement leaders dedicated to preserving the safety and security of our communities, we have concerns about legislative proposals that would attempt to impose punitive, “one-size fits-all” policies on state and local law enforcement. Rather than strengthening state and local law enforcement by providing us with the tools to […]
Feb 15February 13, 2018 The Honorable Raúl Labrador Chairman Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security U.S. House of Representatives 1523 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Zoe Lofgren Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security U.S. House of Representatives 1401 Longworth House Office Building […]
Feb 13WASHINGTON, D.C. — The co-chairs of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force have sent a letter to members of Congress today urging a legislative solution for Dreamers. The letter is co-signed by co-chairs Sheriff Margaret Mims of Fresno County, California; Chief Tom Manger of Montgomery County, Maryland; and Chief Art Acevedo of Houston. “Our support for […]
Dec 14December 14, 2017 Dear Member of Congress: As law enforcement leaders who support commonsense immigration reforms to ensure the protection of our communities, we write to express our support again for a bipartisan legislative solution to allow Dreamers — young people brought to the United States as children — to remain in the United […]
Dec 14FACT SHEET: Immigrant Youth and MS-13 MS-13 has its roots in the U.S. Many young immigrants who fled Central America because of ongoing civil wars in the 1980s arrived in Los Angeles. They found that local American street gangs dominated the scene. They reacted by forming a gang of their own, which became […]
Dec 12WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sixty police chiefs, sheriffs and law enforcement leaders today sent a letter to members of Congress to express support for a bipartisan legislative solution that would allow Dreamers to remain in the country. “We support measures allowing law-abiding people to feel safe and secure in their communities, which reinforce trust and cooperation with […]
Oct 02October 2, 2017 Dear Member of Congress: As law enforcement leaders who support commonsense immigration reforms to ensure the protection of our communities, we write to express our support for a bipartisan legislative solution to allow Dreamers – young people brought to the United States as children – to remain in the United States […]
Oct 02FORUM POLICY National Immigration Forum Introduction Congress created the 287(g) program in 1996 to increase federal immigration enforcement capacity. Voluntary agreements under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) enlist and authorize state and local law enforcement personnel to carry out immigration enforcement actions. Under 287(g), a local jurisdiction may enter into […]
Sep 08LAURENCE BENENSON Assistant Director for Policy & Advocacy National Immigration Forum Introduction No formal, legal definition of the term “sanctuary jurisdiction” exists in the U.S. Code or under federal regulations. Some define “sanctuary jurisdiction” as one that fails to cooperate with the federal government as required by a once-obscure provision of the Immigration and […]
Sep 08Click here to see a PERF report, U Visas and the Role of Local Police In Preventing and Investigating Crimes Against Immigrants.
Sep 01WASHINGTON, D.C. — Police chiefs and sheriffs are speaking out today about legislation that would undermine their ability to ensure public safety and work with immigrant communities.
Jun 28Permission Would Bolster Recruitment, Diversity
Jun 16LAURENCE BENENSON Assistant Director for Policy & Advocacy National Immigration Forum Click here to read the white paper, “A Path to Public Safety: The Legal Questions around Immigration Detainers.” So-called sanctuary jurisdictions have caused great controversy. Lost amid the debate is the fact that, whatever their approach toward immigrants, most state and local law […]
Feb 27WASHINGTON, D.C. — Police chiefs
Feb 07WASHINGTON, D.C. — Local law enforcement
Jan 26WASHINGTON, D.C. — In advance
Jul 06WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of a vote
Oct 20WASHINGTON, D.C. — At a Senate
Jul 21The Honorable Trey Gowdy
Jul 21Rather Than Target ‘Sanctuary Cities,’
Jul 15