Lawrence City Commission to discuss limiting police cooperation with ICE
The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday night will discuss a draft proposal that would limit how police interact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE.
A Lawrence Police Department memo on the proposal says officers would not help hold a person for ICE. Among other things, it also says no officer would question or stop anyone based solely on their suspected immigration status.
It also notes that police do not need to notify the federal agency when booking undocumented immigrants in the local jail, except possibly during some felony investigations.
City staff and police department members have been meeting about the proposal with Sanctuary Alliance, a group of community organizers, since fall 2019. As part of the proposal, police also incorporated best practice recommendations from Lexipool, a company that has has been used by more than 3,000 agencies.
On Tuesday, the city commission will receive an update on the progress of the draft. It is expected to be voted on at a later date.
News of the proposal was first reported by the Lawrence Journal-World.
The proposal can be found on the city’s website. A live stream of the 5:45 p.m. meeting can be watched online.
The commission will also discuss a draft ordinance on how city departments interact with undocumented immigrants. That ordinance includes a provision that prohibits considering immigration status or collecting immigration-related information when providing city services.
A provision in that draft ordinance, for example, also would allow city departments to accept any valid photo identification showing a person’s name and photograph, such as documents from the person’s nation of origin.
The draft ordinance notes that city leaders are committed to building a welcoming community that accepts all people.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Lawrence City Commission to discuss limiting police cooperation with ICE."
