Ogden Police Department releases statement on enforcing immigration laws

File photo: Gephardt Daily/Laura Withers

OGDEN, Utah, June 28, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Ogden Police Department on Friday released a statement from Chief Randy Watt regarding the department’s position on enforcement of federal immigration laws.

“The current national political atmosphere surrounding ICE has caused concern among community members in Ogden City,” the statement on Facebook begins.

It goes on to list specific points of a 2017 news release from OPD, in which the department outlined its role in the enforcement of immigration laws.

“Immigration laws are the jurisdiction of various Federal agencies. The Ogden Police Department has no jurisdiction or legal authority in the enforcement of such laws,” the statement says.

It goes on to say that OPD supports and defends the Constitution of the United States and Utah and extends protection to everyone, not just U.S. citizens.

Further, OPD doesn’t and won’t ask the immigration status of victims or witnesses of crimes.

The statement concludes by saying that, in the interest of protecting all people from serious crime, OPD will notify federal authorities of the arrest of violent or habitual offenders whose immigration status may be questionable.

Comments on the Ogden Police Facebook page varied from “This is wonderful news. Way to go, Ogden!” to “What part of ‘illegal ‘ isn’t ‘your jurisdiction’?”

The statement can be seen in its entirety below.

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The statement also was released in Spanish.

1 COMMENT

  1. Odgen Police isn’t doing a good job of leading by example.. The Ogden Police Department are telling the citizens that it’s ok to pick and choose what ever law they want to follow..

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