In March, police in Phoenix stopped a man for a minor traffic violation. He now faces deportation as a result of the stop, the head of an advocacy organization told the Phoenix New Times.
Phoenix’s new police chief has said he believes his department shouldn’t be involved in immigration enforcement. “As far I’m concerned, if we have a community member that’s scared to call the police based on their immigration status, whatever it might be, we’ve failed,” Chief Matt Giordano told KJZZ.
Neither the Phoenix Police Department, nor the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — which runs the jail where the man was booked after the traffic stop — currently has a formal agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to aid in arresting immigrants. However, an ICE agent stationed at the jail screens people booked into the facility, and the jail notifies ICE prior to releasing anyone with a detainer — a request by ICE to hold someone until the federal agency takes them into custody. The Arizona Republic identifiedmore than 100 people who were charged with federal immigration offenses after being held at the jail…