The Tucson Police Department's main building is located on Stone Avenue south of downtown.
City of Tucson officials are making their stance on how its role in immigration law enforcement clear.
A recent joint media release from Mayor Regina Romero, City Manager Tim Thomure, City Attorney Mike Rankin, and Chief of Police Chad Kasmar states that questions about the city's role in immigration enforcement.
The release attributes those questions to recent changes at the federal level.
It laid out the following policies, which it said have been in place for nearly 15 years.
- "TPD Officers will not make immigration status inquiries during consensual contacts with members of the public;
- TPD Officers will not make immigration status inquiries of victims or witnesses, since discouraging cooperation will likely hinder or obstruct investigations and can negatively impact overall community trust and confidence;
- TPD Officers cannot stop a car for the purpose of determining the immigration status of the driver or any passengers;
- When reasonable suspicion exists to believe a detainee is unlawfully present in the U.S. but there are no state or local criminal violations, or any other lawful basis to continue the detention (i.e. completion of a traffic stop), the officer shall release the detainee without delay; -TPD officers do not have the authority to transport a person or take any other enforcement action for a civil violation of federal law (e.g., unauthorized presence);
- Juveniles who are detained for criminal activity shall not be asked about immigration status without the presence of a parent, guardian or attorney;
- When interacting with students, School Resource Officers and/or other officers who respond to a school shall refrain from asking about immigration status;
- An officer shall not prolong a field release arrest to make an immigration status inquiry or to request verification of immigration status;"
The release refers those who are concerned to “Know Your Rights” information made available by many organizations, including The Catholic Diocese of Tucson, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, and the ACLU of Arizona.
Immigration law is the purvey of federal law enforcement. And while a voter-approved measure from the 2024 election does change what is legal in Arizona in regards to a person's immigration status, that law does not go into affect until a similar law in Texas or any other state goes into affect.
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