Photo Credit: Town of Gilbert
(GILBERT, AZ.) – Though the presence of ICE in Gilbert this year has been minimal in comparison to cities like Portland, The Gilbert Police Department has finally issued a statement on how it will handle further ICE operations within town limits.
OpGov.ai reached out to town spokesperson Joanna Guzman on Jan. 28 to inquire about the town’s stance on ICE and what protocols may be in place to ensure public safety. At that time, no official statements had been made, and the council planned to hold an executive meeting Feb. 3 to discuss the matter.
Photo Credit: Teri Tracy / Gmail
When no statement was released that same evening during the town’s regular council meeting, OpGov.ai then reached out to VIce Mayor Chuck Bongiovanni, who was unable to provide a statement at that time.
Photo Credit: Teri Tracy / Gmail
Since then, the Gilbert Police Department has issued a statement, which was posted on the Town of Gilbert website, outlining the specifics of how it will and will not be involved in ICE operations in Gilbert:
Photo Credit: Town of Gilbert
The department states that as it does not have a 287 (g) memorandum of agreement with the agency, GPD will not enforce federal immigration laws, but will respond if a request from the federal agency is received as required.
The statement goes on to include details on public safety, including how to distinguish Gilbert police officers from ICE agents and what to do should someone attempt to identify as a Gilbert police officer without distinguishing uniform features.
“Your safety is our priority, regardless of immigration status. If you are a victim of crime or witness criminal activity, we urge you to contact us immediately,” the statement reads, “We cannot effectively protect our community without your partnership. When crime goes unreported, everyone is less safe.”
A tip line is provided to report suspected crime or other related concerns at gilbertaz.gov/SubmitATip.
Public opinion on the presence of ICE in Gilbert is heated, as a NextDoor post seeking opinions on the matter was removed by this OpGov.ai reporter a mere 40 minutes after posting due to insensitive content.
Most comments on the post were in favor of ICE operations in Gilbert, while some commented on their concerns for safety.
Several social media posts in recent weeks have reported sightings of ICE locally, particularly on sites such as Reddit, where a few posts have emerged sharing photos or details of encounters with ICE.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit
While some posts date back to the past couple of weeks, more recent posts have yet to be seen on the platform. It’s unclear whether the presence of ICE has become less prominent in the area, or if residents have simply stopped posting about them.
While many schools across the country are seeing students protest ICE with organized walkouts, Gilbert schools have followed suit with protests of their own, holding signs and gathering on the street.
Photo Credit: Instagram / prod.byfp
OpGov.ai will continue to follow the story and provide details as it progresses.
To add to or correct information in this report, please contact me at tracy.t@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below with your thoughts.
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