DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Two Republican candidates for governor are attacking the city of Detroit’s police chief for saying he wanted to fire two officers that contacted immigration officials during a traffic stop.
City of Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said he plans to fire two police officers who contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during a traffic stop, according to numerous media reports.
“I think Detroit needs a new Chief,” said Sen. Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) on his X account. “Who else thinks @DHSgov should hire these two officers?”
Tom Leonard, a former state representative and Republican, wrote on his X account: “Detroit just fired two cops for doing their job. Let that sink in. When I’m governor, I’ll hire them — and end sanctuary city policies.”
Nesbitt and Leonard are both Republicans running for governor in the 2026 election.
The Detroit News reported that Bettison said he suspended two Detroit Police Department employees with pay for calling the CBP during two stops that led to detentions.
The city provided Michigan News Source with its policy for interacting with ICE, titled “Summary of Detroit Police Department Policy on Immigration Enforcement:
“A ‘Welcoming City’ welcomes immigrants who have come to America legally and develops programs and policies encouraging their success. Detroit is a Welcoming City.
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The term ‘Sanctuary City’ has been used in many different ways over the years, but today refers to a city that provides sanctuary to immigrants who have come to America illegally. In Sanctuary Cities, the local police department refuses to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or other federal agencies in enforcing federal immigration law. Detroit is not a Sanctuary City.
The Detroit Police Department (DPD) has clear policies relative to federal immigration law and its working relationship with ICE:
By law, the job of DPD is to enforce city and state laws. Enforcing federal law, including immigration law, is not the job of a municipal police agency. When interacting with the public, Detroit police officers do not inquire about an individual’s immigration status. DPD’s long-standing and well-publicized policy that crime victims and witnesses will not be asked about their immigration status in police interviews has been a major factor in building cooperation for crime reduction in Detroit.
Whenever DPD makes a criminal arrest, DPD does not shelter any suspect from federal immigration enforcement. A DPD officer promptly enters the suspect’s information into the State of Michigan Livescan system, including the suspect’s name, set of fingerprints, and place of birth. That information is immediately available to federal law enforcement, including ICE. ICE regularly uses the Livescan system to identify suspected illegal immigrants in the custody of DPD and other local Michigan police agencies.
When federal immigration officials provide DPD with a properly executed detainer, DPD honors the detainer and allows federal agents to take custody of the individual within the time limits of the constitutional requirements.
Federal immigration enforcement strategies have varied widely over the last three Presidential administrations. DPD policy has remained constant throughout. DPD does not engage in immigration enforcement but, as described above, regularly cooperates with federal officials in their law enforcement efforts.”
