Twelve states filed an amicus brief supporting President Obama’s recent executive action today, and a number of law enforcement officials from around the country did the same, bolstering the fact that Obama’s immigration action is a common-sense practice that has a long history of precedent.

The law enforcement amicus brief was filed by the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, and 14 police chiefs.  They argued that executive action improves public safety by encouraging cooperation between law enforcement officials and immigrant communities, and that blocking it will negatively impact public safety and make it harder for the police to do their jobs.  As Melissa Keaney, a staff attorney for the National Immigration Law Center noted in a press release:

No one should play political games with public safety. These law enforcement leaders have stepped forward to say that the deferred action initiative has solid benefits for community policing.  The courts, the politicians, and the public should heed the warning of police chiefs that an injunction to block the deferred action will hurt efforts of local police to build trust with community members.

Law enforcement leaders who have joined the amicus include:

• Major Cities Chiefs Association, which is a professional association of chiefs and sheriffs representing the largest cities in the United States, serving more than 68 million people.
• Police Executive Research Forum, which is a national membership organization of police executives from the largest city, county and state law enforcement agencies dedicated to improving policing and advancing professionalism through research and involvement in public policy debate.
• Chief Art Acevedo, City of Austin, Texas, Police Department
• Chief Charlie Beck, Los Angeles, California, Police Department
• Chief Richard S. Biehl, Dayton, Ohio, Police Department
• Chief Chris Burbank, Salt Lake City, Utah, Police Department
• Sheriff Mark C. Curran Jr., Lake County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office
• Sheriff Tony Estrada, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Office
• Commissioner William B. Evans, Boston, Massachusetts, Police Department
• Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Harris County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office
• Sheriff Marlin Gusman, New Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office
• Chief James Hawkins, Garden City, Kansas, Police Department
• Chief Dwight Henninger, Vail, Colorado, Police Department
• Chief Michael C. Koval, Madison, Wisconsin, Police Department
• Chief Jose L. Lopez Sr., Durham, North Carolina, Police Department
• Sheriff Leon Lott, Richland County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Department
• Sheriff Bill McCarthy, Polk County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office
• Chief Roy W. Minter, Jr., Peoria, Arizona, Police Department
• Lieutenant Andy Norris, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office
• Chief Kathleen O’Toole, Seattle, Washington, Police Department
• Commissioner Charles Ramsey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Police Department
• Chief Greg Suhr, San Francisco, California, Police Department
• Chief Ron Teachman, South Bend, Indiana, Police Department
• Chief Michael Tupper, Marshalltown, Iowa, Police Department
• Sheriff John Urquhart, King County, Washington, Sheriff’s Office
• Sheriff Lupe Valdez, Dallas County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department
• Chief Roberto Villaseñor, Tucson, Arizona, Police Department
• Chief Robert White, Denver, Colorado, Police Department
• Sheriff Richard D. Wiles, El Paso County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office

View the amicus brief below:

Law Enforcement Amicus 2015-01-12