The police chief of Elsmere addressed the possibility of cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, officers in deportation cases at the city council caucus meeting Tuesday.
In the wake of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, councilmember Gloria Grubbs raised concerns about whether the Elsmere Police Department would aid federal agents in deporting undocumented immigrants living in the city.
In response, Police Chief Russell Wood stated that the police department would provide their support within existing protocols should the circumstances arise. People being targeted by ICE would be high-profile targets who pose a threat to public safety, he said.
Wood reassured the council that Section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which deputizes selected state and local law enforcement officers to enforce immigration law, is not being applied to Elsmere. The program is predominantly taking place in major cities, he added.
The city council also approved a municipal order at the meeting that allows the Elsmere Police Department to sell surplus firearms and ammunition to its current or retired officers.