ICE pitches legal insurance to help shield local officers who make immigration arrests
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is pitching a plan to help shield local police officers who make immigration arrests from possible financial consequences if they are accused of on-duty misconduct. The agency is proposing to subsidize liability…
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is proposing a plan to provide liability insurance for local police officers who enforce federal immigration laws. The aim is to protect these officers from potential financial consequences if they are accused of misconduct while on duty. ICE's partnerships with local departments have increased since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, and the insurance proposal could remove a barrier that has made some local police departments hesitant to collaborate.
According to the Associated Press, which first reported on this plan, officers would be reimbursed up to $250 annually, which is roughly the cost of the insurance coverage. Critics, however, argue that this program would only serve to shield officers from personal accountability for violating Americans' rights. David Bier, a director at the Cato Institute, believes Congress should make it easier to sue ICE agents for misconduct.
ICE plans to hire a contractor to provide outreach, training, and communications support for its 287(g) partnerships with local departments, which enforce federal immigration laws under a 1996 law. The contractor would be responsible for hiring the insurance vendor and processing reimbursements.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
