Detroit’s chief of police is taking action to have two officers under his command fired from their positions after they reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during routine traffic stops, which he says is a violation of department policy. Police Chief Todd Bettison stated that the actions taken by the officers led to detentions and were in violation of a long-standing rule that prohibits officers from being involved with federal immigration enforcement.
The two officers have already been suspended, but that is not enough for Bettison, who is requesting the city’s Board of Police Commissioners to approve their termination. Bettison went on to say that the Detroit Police Department does not participate in immigration enforcement activities and operations, suggesting that cooperating with federal authorities in this kind of action could violate community trust, which is vital to public safety efforts.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has offered her full support for the effort to fire the two officers. Detroit Councilwoman Mary Waters ripped into the conduct of the two officers, saying it was tantamount to biased policing. “The Detroit Police Department has nothing to do with ICE, immigration, none of that,” Waters remarked. “That is not their job. So why would you do that? Just because someone had an accent, for real?”
“That is not what you do. That is biased policing,” she added, according to Fox News. “That’s exactly what’s happening, and we’re not going to tolerate that kind of behavior against our residents of the City of Detroit.” Retired Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt shared his thoughts on the incident, saying the officers’ actions are in clear violation of department policy, but felt that terminating them might be a step too far.
“To contact Border Patrol? No, that’s against policy,” Dolunt commented. “That being said, there have been a lot more egregious things that have occurred in the police department and people have not been terminated.” Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s administration put out a statement that reiterated the city’s position on local law enforcement assisting federal immigration authorities.
“This administration will reinforce the long-standing policy that the Detroit Police Department does not, in any way, engage in federal immigration enforcement,” John Roach, the mayor’s media relations director, said in a statement given to a local media station. Chief Bettison stated that the incidents were discovered through body cam footage.
He then explained that the officer was investigating a person on a felony warrant on the west side of Detroit. The officer believed the individual was not a citizen and promptly contacted Border Patrol. Border Patrol then responded and apprehended the suspect. This incident occurred in December 2025. In February 2026, a sergeant responded to a request made for a supervisor at a traffic stop.
"*" indicates required fields
Upon arriving at the scene, the sergeant found the suspect did not speak English and contacted Border Patrol. Police Chief Bettison then said that federal agents “conducted an investigation” and found the person was not a U.S. citizen. That individual was also detained. Both officers have been suspended with pay, according to CBS News.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video