Additional Coverage:
- Dem city bashed for policy ‘encouraging criminal illegal aliens’ as rap sheets revealed: ‘Lives on the line’ (foxnews.com)
Danbury City Council’s Police Hiring Policy Sparks DHS Backlash
The Danbury, Connecticut City Council, dominated by Democrats, is drawing criticism from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over recent changes to police hiring guidelines. Last week, the council voted 18-2 to allow non-citizen legal immigrants and recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to serve as police officers.
Democrat council member Joe Britton described the decision as “timely,” citing recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the area. He said the move “sends a message to our immigrant community at large that you are welcome in Danbury.”
However, DHS pushed back sharply, stating the council “should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these dangerous criminals from Connecticut – NOT vilifying law enforcement.” A DHS spokesperson emphasized that an officer’s oath is to uphold the law, not to encourage illegal activity. They highlighted ICE’s role in arresting individuals with serious criminal convictions, including assault and sexual offenses, and said law enforcement is working to save American lives.
Recent ICE operations in Connecticut led to more than 65 arrests, including individuals convicted of crimes such as molestation of a minor, aggravated assault, and weapon offenses. Among those arrested were Guatemalan nationals Eddy Ruano and Ericko Valenuela-Chua, Nicaraguan national Elvin Caceres-Martinez, and Ecuadorian national Frank Guaman. DHS stressed the importance of recognizing ICE agents’ risks, noting a sharp increase in assaults against them amid rising tensions.
Britton rejected DHS’s criticism, telling Fox News Digital that the department “is attacking an argument I never made” and clarified that he supports the arrest of violent criminals. His concern lies with enforcement tactics that instill fear in immigrant communities, potentially undermining trust in local government and law enforcement.
“Danbury is safer when residents trust local government and law enforcement, not when innocent families are afraid that simply going to work, school, or church could put them in the middle of an immigration raid,” Britton said. He added that supporting law enforcement does not mean ignoring the harm caused by aggressive federal immigration enforcement.
As this debate continues, city officials, including Mayor Roberto Alves, along with state representatives, have publicly condemned ICE’s recent raids, urging respect for constitutional rights regardless of immigration status. The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between federal immigration enforcement efforts and local communities advocating for immigrant inclusion and safety.