Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas on Tuesday didn’t mince words about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ad that has recently aired on local TV stations targeting local officers for recruitment.
What they’re saying: “I think that that’s a terrible job for terrible pay,” Thomas told Axios Denver after presenting his department’s proposed 2026 budget.
State of play: Thomas said he’s “not worried in the least” about losing any DPD officers to ICE, an agency his officers aren’t allowed to cooperate with in most instances.
- He added he doesn’t believe Denver police “are jockeying for the same personnel” as his department prepares to hire 168 more police officers next year.
Context: The ICE ad appears to be targeting places labeled “sanctuary cities” by President Trump as the agency seeks to hire 10,000 deportation officers this year…