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Detroit Police Chief Seeks Firing of Two Officers Over Calls to Border Patrol

The move tests Detroit’s longstanding rule separating local policing from federal immigration enforcement.

Overview

  • The Board of Police Commissioners convened Thursday to consider the chief’s request to place the suspended officer and sergeant on unpaid status, with any firing to proceed through a command hearing that could take weeks.
  • A sergeant identified in a new federal lawsuit as Denise Wallet is seeking to block her termination, arguing she called Border Patrol only to identify a driver at a lieutenant’s direction; an initial restraining request was denied for lacking an affidavit and is being refiled.
  • The department says a Dec. 16, 2025 traffic stop uncovered in a body‑camera audit involved an officer who contacted Border Patrol while investigating a person on a felony warrant, after which agents detained the individual.
  • On Feb. 9, 2026 a supervisor contacted Border Patrol during a stop involving a driver who did not speak English rather than using the department’s 24/7 certified translation service, and federal agents later detained the driver.
  • City officials and community advocates backed enforcing the policy and stressed DPD does not conduct immigration enforcement, while a retired assistant chief questioned whether termination is consistent with past discipline.