Aldermen discuss policies around Manchester police cooperation with ICE
With illegal immigration becoming a prominent topic of discussion across the country, members of the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen weighed in on Tuesday night, asking questions of Manchester Police Department Chief Peter Marr.
MANCHESTER, NH – With illegal immigration becoming a prominent topic of discussion across the country, members of the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen weighed in on Tuesday night, asking questions of Manchester Police Department Chief Peter Marr.
Following recent news that several law enforcement agencies across New Hampshire would enter into 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which allows agencies to identify and remove those undocumented people associated with unlawful activity, Ward 8 Alderman Ed Sapienza asked Marr if a similar arrangement could be made for the Manchester Police Department.
Marr said that was not feasible given the approximately 20 officer shortage on the department’s current roster, making it difficult to respond to the current number of calls received, adding that additional funding to fill this role has not been provided by the federal government.
Later Marr added that in past years, ICE often would not respond after being informed by Manchester Police that an undocumented immigrant had been arrested on separate charges. He also noted that it can often be difficult to determine the citizenship of individuals who might be suspected of violating immigration laws due to a lack of evidence indicating that they illegally crossed an international border.
Ward 4 Alderwoman Christine Fajardo asked if there were guidelines in place and how frequently Manchester Police found themselves dealing with the issue of undocumented migrants in day-to-day operations. Marr said that the Manchester Police Department follows the guidelines of the International Chiefs of Police Association and arrests involving undocumented immigrants was fairly rare.
Even in terms of international or national gangs, Marr said that the gangs in the city that claim to be affiliates of those gangs generally unaffiliated groups attempting emulation rather than collaboration.
Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais stated that Manchester is not a sanctuary city and cooperates with ICE when requested. When asked if Hillsborough County is a sanctuary county after county officials indicated that they would not cooperate with ICE, Ruais said he would obtain more information on the situation.
