Maricopa Police do not enforce federal immigration laws and do not participate in federal immigration agreements, Police Chief Mark Goodman told InMaricopa today, drawing a clear line between city policing and ongoing federal immigration activity along State Route 347 and in the region.
“The Maricopa Police Department does not enforce federal immigration laws,” Goodman said. “Our mission is to uphold state and local law, safeguard public safety and ensure every resident feels comfortable seeking help from our officers.”
The statement came in response to advocate reports earlier this week of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the Maricopa area. Across the Phoenix metro, police departments have been clarifying their relationship with ICE, as Pinal County works to solidify its place as one of the most ardent ICE supporters in the nation.
Goodman said MPD does not proactively participate in immigration enforcement operations and is not part of any 287(g) agreement with ICE, which allows local law enforcement agencies to carry out certain federal immigration functions. He added that MPD officers do not inquire about immigration status during routine interactions.
Goodman’s statement follows reports from the rural Arizona legal observer group RAZE that claimed ICE vehicles were present during traffic stops conducted by local law enforcement agencies along SR 347 north of Maricopa earlier this week.
Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple (R) denied those claims, telling InMaricopa on Tuesday the reports were “irresponsible and false.” He described the activity as a routine traffic enforcement detail focused on speed enforcement and DUI arrests in which Maricopa police officers and county deputies partnered with other agencies. An MPD spokesperson later confirmed the agency’s involvement in the detail.
While federal agencies may operate within city limits, Goodman said MPD does not have the authority to interrupt or prevent those actions, as has happened several times in the past year.
“If a federal agency contacts the MPD for assistance in keeping the peace, protecting people and preventing escalation, we will respond,” Goodman said.
He emphasized that MPD officers will always identify themselves and are prohibited from wearing full-face coverings during enforcement activities. Officers must display clearly visible MPD insignia, he said, so they are easily recognized by the public.
People arrested by MPD with existing federal warrants or detainers are transported to the Pinal County jail for processing, according to the chief. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office has had a relationship with ICE for years, long before the current wave of more aggressive enforcement that has drawn national controversy.
Here in Pinal County, a 287(g) agreement implemented by County Attorney Brad Miller has been challenged in court. A judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order halting enforcement of the agreement pending further proceedings.
Goodman said community trust remains central to the department’s approach.
“Public safety depends on community trust, and we are committed to building and maintaining that trust through transparency and effective policing,” he said today.
He encouraged residents with questions or concerns to contact the department directly by calling 911 for active incidents or the non-emergency line at 520-568-3673 for follow-up.
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18 Responses
“He emphasized that MPD officers will always identify themselves and are prohibited from wearing full-face coverings during enforcement activities. Officers must display clearly visible MPD insignia, he said, so they are easily recognized by the public.”
I love our police department.
I don’t know if people have been making a stink online about the mpd being connected with ICE, but I do know they try their best, even if the people of Maricopa come from California.
I think this is mostly being said in order to prevent possible future misunderstandings.
The people of Maricopa come from Maricopa.
If you buy a home here and pay property taxes to Pinal County, you are from Maricopa.
Where you moved from in the past is irrelevant to the present.
So your telling me if a Canadian showbird buys a house in Maricopa and pays property taxes to Pinal County while living in Canada, they are from Maricopa?
Checkmate liberal.
#Alllivesmatter #Mannequinchallenge
I assume you’re just joking, but BKM is talking about like how your past doesn’t define who you are. Like some philosophical type shit.
I’d be more inclined to take “your” declaration of “checkmate” seriously if you could demonstrate basic grammar skills.
That being said, fine, please remove non owner-occupied and secondary residences from my statement.
Why bring California into it?
Except when you bring your politics from California or Washington
Well, that’s the great thing about living in a free country, isn’t it?
Ultimately, you have no say in my politics and I have no say in yours.
We also brought our income and doubled the value of your homes in the space of a decade. You’re welcome.
California people belong in California. AZ != CA. Keep your libtard money.
Awww, you learned how to add a suffix to a noun in order to make it offensive…. Bless “your” cotton socks!
You idiots realize there are plenty of redneck, conservative bigots in California, right? That’s basically all of the OC and most of the IE… plus the notable past Republicans who came from there such as Reagan and Nixon?
Or, to quote Jackson Lamb, is that like trying to explain Norway to a dog?
In any case, I’ve been actively recruiting Californians to move here. One is closing escrow in March right here in Maricopa.
I genuinely hope that ruins “your” day!
So, if MPD arrests an individual that has no documents and is unidentifiable what happens. I’d say I’m asking for a friend, but I don’t have any.😁
Well, people shouldn’t have to always carry documents of proof on them at all times. Even then, I’m sure there are other way to identify someone. A person being unidentifiable doesn’t inherently mean they are illegal, although it likely can be a possible identifier of illegality. I don’t even know where we’re going with this.
Your a kid playing a grown-up right? Nobody is this disconnected from reality.
“You’re” a grown-up with a kid’s grammar skills, right?
Fair question. I would also like to know the status of illegal aliens in our prisons.
I’d imagine that would be the best place to start in order to deport the violent criminals…unless this whole thing is politically motivated and/or the privatization of the penal system makes that an unprofitable venture for certain rich white men… Nahhhhh….
Not sure if this helps or hurts but I am reasonably fond of you, FF!
Guess I will start carrying my TSA card for ID.
Come on, we live in a quiet area where everyone minds their own business and goes around quietly. Why disrupt what is a peaceful setting by fretting about from where a person came?
Seconded. Well said.
Thank you, Bill.