SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Police Chief answered questions about federal immigration enforcement and intervention in light of nationwide protests.
During Monday’s Public Safety and Community Health Committee meeting, several council members asked Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall questions about the role of local law enforcement.
Chief Hall said he is frequently asked about this.
“I’ll continue to say it over and over, we have no role in federal immigration enforcement,” Chief Hall said.
The police department does work with some federal partners like U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). They do not work with border patrol, homeland security investigations (HSI) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Chief Hall said he occasionally meets with those federal agencies, but they do not work together.
“It would be illegal for us to work with them due to the KWWA,” Chief Hall said, referring to the Keep Washington Working Act.
Chief Hall went on to say social media posts have pushed misinformation about the department’s role as well. He specifically referenced a video from this past weekend with a borrowed van from the Spokane county jail that his officers were using. Commenters online suggested the video showed Spokane police working with ICE, Chief Hall said that is false.
“A lot of folks will see what they want to see,” Chief Hall said.
He also said any officer within his department who chose to engage with ICE would face significant consequences.
“Their job would be on the line,” Chief Hall said.
The council asked what would happen if a community member reported an undocumented neighbor living in Spokane. Chief Hall said that hasn’t happened, at least in the last five years.
Council Member Michael Cathcart asked about calls for local law enforcement to arrest border patrol and ICE.
“That would be problematic, if you have one armed law enforcement agency confronting another armed law enforcement agency there are going to be problems,” Chief Hall said.
Council Member Sarah Dixit asked if the department is allowed to help with documenting interactions between ICE agents and people in Spokane.
The police chief said if SPD officers are present their body worn cameras will be on and recording.
Chief Hall also addressed a mistake that was made last week at a public demonstration where plain clothes officers were in attendance wearing masks.
“We made very clear to every single member of the police department, all 454 of them, what the expectations are when it comes to wearing face coverings,” he said.
There are bills in both the Washington House and Senate that, if passed, would forbid state and federal officers from wearing face coverings in the state.
Council Member Dixit asked how local law enforcement would be able to enforce that.
“We would not be able to enforce that,” Chief Hall responded.
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