RIGHT SPEAK: Some Blue States Aim To Bolster Sagging Police Numbers By Hiring Non-Citizens; States Look to Hire Illegal Immigrants to Fatten Struggling Police Departments

Some Blue States Aim To Bolster Sagging Police Numbers By Hiring Non-Citizens

Blue state politicians around the country are looking to non-citizens and asylum seekers to fill police forces amid a struggle to staff them, according to The Washington Times.

Recently signed legislation in California, Illinois and Colorado allows for certain non-citizens to become police officers or peace officers, who can enforce the law against citizens, according to public documents reviewed by the The Washington Times. Some in blue cities and states with struggling police forces are unsure of the legality of these laws designed to alleviate police shortages.

“It’s a massive problem,” Matt O’Brien, a former immigration judge, told The Washington Times. “You’ve got this muddle of issues where there is no settled law, and it’s now crashing into the fact that these idiots in the defund-the-police movement have caused a crisis in law enforcement.”

The California law, Senate Bill 960, signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in September of 2022 allows non-citizens to become police officers. The law allows anyone with federal work authorization to apply to be a police officer, and illegal immigrants who have been paroled by the DHS can apply for federal work authorization, according to DHS. --->READ MORE HERE

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

States look to hire illegal immigrants to fatten struggling police departments:

Struggling to fill the ranks of their police officers, some blue-state politicians are turning to an unusual option: illegal immigrants.

A California law that took effect earlier this year allows noncitizens — including some unauthorized migrants — to sign up if they are protected from deportation, including by the Obama-era DACA program. Colorado and Illinois have followed suit with laws allowing some noncitizens to join the force.

It’s all deeply uncharted territory.

Lawmakers aren’t sure who could qualify, and analysts said it’s unclear who would be authorized to carry firearms.

“It’s a massive problem,” said Matt O’Brien, a former immigration judge who is now with the Immigration Reform Law Institute. “You’ve got this muddle of issues where there is no settled law, and it’s now crashing into the fact that these idiots in the defund-the-police movement have caused a crisis in law enforcement.”

Those pushing the idea do cite the need for more police and the desire to attract a wider demographic to the job.

They also see a breakdown of barriers for immigrants, particularly those under DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which extends a temporary deportation amnesty to illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Supporters say the immigrants must meet all the regular qualifications and complete training before patrolling the streets.

Still, the thought of someone in the country illegally, even with tentative protections, having the power to enforce laws on others rubs many people the wrong way.

“It raises questions of fairness, of conflicts of interest and security,” said Elizabeth Jacobs, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Immigration Studies. “If we are having folks that our government knows are in violation of the law or have broken the law and we are deputizing them to enforce other laws, that doesn’t bring confidence to our legal system.”

Less controversy has been raised over allowing noncitizens who hold green cards, signifying legal permanent residency, to join the police force. That has been allowed in some states for a while.